Resistance
by GretchenMaurice
Summary: Sequel to Survival. When Elphaba leaves Shiz, both girls face the consequences. For Elphaba, that means falling deeper into Oz's growing political mess. For Glinda, it's resisting Morrible's control. Neither is sure they'll succeed, but they keep fighting anyway—for Oz, for their friends, for each other. Distance. Danger. Gelphie.
1. Chapter 1

**'Tis here. Thank you to everyone who's been patient and supportive and awesome while I've talked about this for the past year. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Glinda Upland swung her feet beneath the bench she sat on, her eyes focused on the ground. Next to her, Boq was putting forth what was probably a compelling argument, but she had stopped listening a while ago. She toed a small rock, then kicked it gently out into the sidewalk.

Her gaze followed the rock, lifting to stare at the nearly empty campus. The late summer heat seemed to slow everything down—not that Shiz had been all that busy the past couple months. Most of the residents were home, leaving only a handful of students and teachers who stayed to work or conduct research.

"Glinda?"

She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. "I'm sorry, Boq. I can't."

"I think getting off campus for a while will do you some good," Fiyero said gently.

"I am perfectly fine here, thank you."

"It'll be fun," Crope said. "Just a nice, relaxed dinner at the Peach and Kidneys."

Tibbett nodded. "Come on, Glinda. You deserve to do something nice."

She glared, but didn't quite have the energy to turn and face them. "I want to stay here."

"But—"

"I'm tired," she announced, standing up and smoothing out her skirt. She meant to say more, but no words would come, so she turned and left the boys on the sidewalk, no doubt staring hopelessly after her.

She knew better than to be mad at her friends. They were worried—she had given them plenty reason to be over the last few months. Oz, it was practically a miracle when they got her out of the room for the first time that summer. But this? This was asking too much. Maybe getting off the campus would be good for her, but the Peach and Kidneys? She couldn't even think of the restaurant without remembering…

 _Stop_. She couldn't let those thoughts take hold. Not now.

Glinda stepped into Crage Hall, grateful for the change in temperature, and wandered up to her room. She slipped slowly out of her shoes and collapsed onto the bed closest to the door. Not much had changed in the room since summer began. Her side was clean, if only because she never did anything but change clothes. Elphaba's side was empty.

Her chest tightened and her throat closed up. She lowered herself onto the mattress and curled up in the green girl's sheets. Elphaba's scent had all but faded from the bed, and for a moment Glinda felt the sheer panic and despair of losing her, as fresh as it had been that first night.

There were no tears. She had stopped crying weeks ago. She stared dully across the room, where her own bed sat, neatly made and completely untouched. In fact, no one had even sat on her bed since the boys were in here a few weeks ago, begging her to come outside again.

As the light faded slowly from the window, Glinda contemplated washing up and getting ready for bed. She supposed she should find something to eat for dinner, but the idea was so daunting it only made her curl tighter into Elphaba's blanket.

 _Go to the bathroom,_ she told herself. _Wash up, change clothes, and then you can sleep._

Sighing, she pushed herself up from the bed and shuffled to the bathroom. The counter that had once been full of little jars and bottles was now almost completely bare. Her own perfumes and soaps had looked wrong without Elphaba's oils beside them, and she had thrown them all to the ground in a fit of rage during finals week, shattering them and spilling their contents across the room. The mess had stayed there for nearly a month, until the boys had pounded on her door and demanded she let them in.

"She used to complain I had too many things, anyway," Glinda had mumbled when Fiyero asked about it.

They had all stared at her, but Crope put an arm around her and said, ever so softly, "I miss her, too." She broke down then, and they didn't get another word out of her for the rest of the night.

Glinda avoided her reflection as she splashed water over her face. She had meant to take a bath, but…this would have to do. As she stumbled back into the room and searched for a nightgown, her thoughts turned to the rest of that summer.

The weeks had been long, blurring together in a dull haze. She could remember instances: Avaric and Pfannee trying to get her attention at dinner one night, Crope and Tibbett walking her to classes, Boq looking over his shoulder to ask Elphaba's opinion of something, his face crumbling when he remembered she wasn't there.

He had started taking shifts at the girls' library as well as the boys', to earn a little more money. A few weeks after Elphaba left, he reported that the books that had gone missing the last few months were slowly returning. Out of curiosity, Fiyero checked the labs they used to break into, only to find that the materials they had once needed were there again. No one in the group had even seen Morrible since the end of the semester. It was as if none of it had ever happened, had ever meant anything.

Glinda supposed she should be grateful for the long days and empty campus. Facing the rest of her classmates still seemed unbearable. She had managed to avoid them those last few weeks of the semester, mostly by locking herself in her room and leaving only to go to class. If it weren't for the boys taking turns sneaking into Crage Hall to bring her food, the blonde very well may have starved to death by the time finals came around.

She somehow managed to get through her exams—though she'd stormed out of Morrible's classroom halfway through, fire still swirling around her hands. But the headmistress simply marked something down on her papers and went about cleaning the room Glinda had all but blown up in her anger.

She had told herself that she was just waiting out the rest of finals week. When the majority of Shiz's students had gone home for the summer, she would get up and hang out with the boys again. When the time came, though, leaving the room was just too daunting of a task. So she stayed curled up in Elphaba's bed, hoping that if she pulled the blanket just a little tighter around herself, it would feel like green arms were holding her again.

Summer was almost over. In just a week or two, her classmates would be returning. She would have to face them and whatever rumors they brought with them. And what about Professor Nikidik, with his smug grin and arrogant tone? What about Morrible? How would she act, now that it was clear she had won?

Glinda shook her head at herself and crawled into Elphaba's bed, pulling the thin, useless blanket up to her shoulders. She grabbed the pillow and flipped it over to rest more comfortably beneath her head. The faint smell of fresh wood and new parchment hit her and, whimpering, she screwed her eyes shut and buried her face into the pillow. As she gulped in deep breaths, trying to drown herself in Elphaba's scent, she felt the fabric dampen beneath her cheeks.

She would apologize to the boys tomorrow. They were only worried about her and anyway, they were probably right. This campus held too many memories, and getting away for a little while could be good. Just, not to the Peach and Kidneys. Tomorrow, maybe, she would suggest doing something different. Tomorrow, she would pick herself up and try again.

But for tonight…well, perhaps there were some tears left, after all.

* * *

Elphaba refolded the letter and set it on the floor next to her. She leaned her head back against the wall and let her eyes slide shut. Not for the first time, she wanted to tell Nessarose that she was asking for too much.

She cracked one eye open and looked down at her sister's letter. _Grandfather isn't feeling well… Please, visit us…_

Elphaba tried to picture the stubborn, willowy man who was the ruler of Munchkinland. She couldn't imagine him in anything less than perfect health. He had seemed fine when she was there at the beginning of the summer. Moving a bit slow, perhaps, but that was a given at his age, wasn't it? How old was the Eminent Thropp, anyway? Elphaba sighed and picked up the letter again.

 _I know you didn't leave on great terms last time._

"That's an understatement," Elphaba muttered. In fact, she had hardly left on any terms. She'd just stormed out in the middle of an argument with her father and never came back. But of course, that wouldn't be a problem this time around, according to Nessa.

 _Father is leaving tomorrow to give his sermons. He won't be back for nearly a month. I don't know where you are now, but please come back._

It was unlike her sister to be pleading with her. It was also unlike her to admit that their father's presence had anything to do with Elphaba's decision.

Elphaba pulled the end of her braid over her shoulder and started tugging at it absentmindedly. It wasn't as if she had anything else to do, and she was desperate to be up and moving again. She gazed around at the run-down house she had been staying in the past couple of weeks. She wasn't sure what had brought her to her father's old home in Rush Margins, yet here she was.

It wasn't exactly a place of happy memories.

"I suppose that means it's time to go, then," she muttered, reaching over to pick up the letter once more. The Colwen Grounds weren't terribly far. It would take two days, maybe three if she wanted to avoid the major roads. She could get there, figure out what Nessa wanted, and then…

Then what?

Shaking her head, Elphaba climbed to her feet and brushed herself off. Her clothes were more ragged than ever, and this particular frock had accumulated so much dust from the Munchkinland roads that it could hardly be considered black anymore.

But thinking about clothes made her think about someone else, so she set her jaw and picked up her bag. Whatever was waiting for her at Colwen Grounds, she would just have to wait and see. She shoved Nessa's letter in her bag and walked out of the house, glaring down at her feet to keep the flashes of blonde out of her vision.

She didn't look back.

* * *

Elphaba had gotten used to traveling alone. The summer had been spent wandering through Munchkinland, avoiding most of the towns and main roads, until it became a familiar rhythm she could fall into.

This trip proved to be no different.

As she walked, she couldn't help but think back on the last couple months. So much had happened since she left Shiz last spring, and yet, it seemed like nothing had. She had gone to the Colwen Grounds first, but it had only taken a few days before she couldn't stand being around her father any longer. After leaving the Grounds, she simply wandered around Munchkinland. Every once in a while she would stumble across an Animal in need of help—a Squirrel caught in a hunting trap, a Cow tied to a fence post—but for the most part, she was simply…roaming.

Sometimes she would find an abandoned farm house or granary and camp out there for a few days, spending her time trying to recreate parts of Dillamond's research. Most of what she had done was destroyed with the journal, of course, but she wrote down all she remembered and did her best to fill in what was missing.

It was a hopeless effort—at least, while she was working alone. There were nights, after late hours of scribbling down vague details and examples in the almost non-existent light of the moon, that she would sit curled up and stare out into whatever field she was staying in and let her thoughts travel miles away to the Emerald City. She wondered how much of the research Dillamond had sent to the Resistance, and how much she could do if she ever found them.

She tried not to think about it too much. For now, this was all she could do.

And then there were the hours upon hours of walking, feet dragging in the dirt, baking in the dry Munchkinland heat, with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her occupied. She wasn't quite sure when she first pulled out the sorcery book, or why, but she had, and now her travelling days were spent practicing magic. She lifted pebbles without touching them, dug ruts in the ground beside her, and even patched up small holes in her shoes. One time she had tried to create fire in the palm of her hand, but her mind was soon consumed by the memory of Glinda's hand between her fingers, discussing bone structure and energy points, and the little jar of pink flames that accompanied them on their first outings together around campus.

Fire had flared, deep red and uncontrolled, across her arm. Growling and pulling out her jar of burn cream, Elphaba had decided she was done with magic for that trip.

On her journey back to the Colwen Grounds, she spent her time moving objects about. Her bag hung in the air beside her for most of the trip, and she did her best to find other objects to throw around. A rock, a fallen branch, a broken, abandoned wagon—the larger it was, the harder it was to move, and the more determined she was to succeed.

She hated every second of it. The familiar ripple of energy beneath her skin, the hum of the air when she concentrated hard enough—it reminded her of terrible things. More than once she was forced to stop, gasping, as flashes of memories invaded her vision: fleeing from the library, or Dillamond's room at the inn. Magic reminded her of Morrible, and it made her sick.

But other times, just once in a while, it would remind her of Glinda. She would remember the dress Glinda had fixed, back before they were even friends. She would remember the jars of flames and the rattling of furniture when she was upset and the way her eyes brimmed with energy when she was deep into her sorcery textbooks. These memories hurt, too, but they also helped. It was like being with Glinda again—a small connection that she could keep up, even from half a country away.

All of this was how she spent the long summer days, and at night, after she walked until she could barely stand upright anymore, she would stumble into an abandoned shack or a cluster of trees and settle down for a few hours. When the sun rose, she would get up and be on her way again.

She had lost weight. Her only source of food was what she lifted from farms she passed, leaving a couple of coins if she had them. Her clothes had lightened in the sun and the dust. Her boots were worn and cracked. Her hair was almost always clumped with dirt or twigs. Her voice was deeper and raspier whenever she murmured enchantments. Time passed strangely, both too fast and too slow, and she was always hungry, or thirsty, or tired, or sore.

And always, always, with every step she took, as subconscious as breathing, she missed Shiz and the boys and, above all, the tiny blonde she had left behind.


	2. Chapter 2

It was late evening when she arrived at the Colwen Grounds. She walked up the dirt drive to the looming iron gates, where a Munchkin was sitting, his feet propped up in front of him. Elphaba smiled a little when she recognized the driver who had first brought her here, months ago.

"Good evening, Master Viko."

The Munchkin sat up straight, peering at her. "Miss Elphaba? Well, this is quite the surprise. I didn't know you were coming."

"Neither did I," she said. "It was rather short notice."

Viko tilted his head, his eyes squinting a bit, but then he pressed his lips together. Whatever he was about to ask, he decided against it. Instead, he hopped down from his post and went to open the gate.

"Welcome back, Miss Elphaba. Have a lovely evening."

"Thank you, Master Viko. You too."

Elphaba passed through the gate and, taking a breath, made her way up the gravel path to the castle.

Though she had spent weeks here over the course of the last year, the place still felt intimidating—the tall, dark towers, the blackened ivy that crawled up the stone, the deep shadows that settled with the late evening sun. Two Munchkins stood at the front doors, wearing grim expressions and short swords around their waists. Elphaba raised an eyebrow. That was new.

The guards nodded at her and opened the doors. One of them looked up at her and pointed.

"His Eminence is in his office. Miss Nessarose is most likely in the study, fifth door on your right, down the main hallway."

"Thank you," said Elphaba. The guard grunted and went back outside, closing the doors behind him with a resounding _thud_.

Elphaba walked down the main hall. She hesitated outside the closed door of the Eminent's office, but shifted her bag on her shoulder and kept walking to the study she had been directed to. The door was cracked, and she could see a glimpse of brown hair dangling over a worn book. Carefully, she reached out and pushed the door open further. "Nessa?"

The younger Thropp looked up, her eyes brightening. "Elphaba! You came!"

"Did I really have a choice?"

Nessarose ignored her and shut her prayer book. She wheeled to face her sister, and when she spoke again, her face had grown serious. "I apologize for the vagueness of my letter. But there are some things we should discuss in person."

"Like the Eminent's health?" asked Elphaba, raising her eyebrows. "Or the extra guards posted outside?"

Nessa shifted her chair back and forth. "…Yes. But first, food. You've lost weight, Fabala."

"That's what happens when one doesn't have a dependable source of food."

"Where have you _been_ all summer?"

Elphaba pressed her lips together. "Around."

"Vague."

"It works both ways."

Nessa let a corner of her mouth quirk up. "That's fair enough. Come on."

After swiping a meal from the kitchen, Elphaba pushed Nessa through a lesser used part of the castle to the covered back porch they had visited together last winter. The sisters settled in, Elphaba sitting cross-legged beside Nessa's wheelchair and picking at her food.

"Have you told Grandfather you're here?"

"Not yet."

Nessa pressed her lips together. "I suppose a servant will inform him."

"Probably." Elphaba set her dish down. "Tell me what's been going on."

Nessarose stared intently at her lap, fingers smoothing across the brown skirt of her dress. "Where would you like me to start?"

"You said Grandfather wasn't feeling well."

"No…"

Elphaba took a bite and waited. Nessa frowned a little before speaking.

"He's tired. He doesn't eat as much. He's moving slowly. If you don't think about it, you wouldn't really notice. But every week it becomes more obvious. He's just…declining."

"He's getting old," Elphaba said quietly.

"Well, yes. But…" Nessarose scowled down at her hands. Elphaba stared out the glass windows across the grounds.

"Has he said anything about it?"

"No, of course not. He's as steady as ever, mentally."

"But physically…"

"It could be nothing," said Nessa, a little too quickly. "It could just be like you said, and he's getting old."

Elphaba nodded distractedly. It could be, but if it wasn't…if the Eminent's health was failing…

"How have you been doing?" Elphaba asked. "Learning everything, training to be the Eminent…how has that been going?"

"Good. Or at least, it was, until…" At this Nessa shut her mouth and looked away, her hair falling in front of her face.

"Until what?" Elphaba stared at her sister, but got no response. "Nessa? Until what?"

"Nothing," said Nessa. "Things have just been busy lately, and I haven't been around Grandfather as much."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."

"Am not."

"Yes you are. You're not telling me everything."

"Omitting the truth isn't lying."

"It's not honesty, either."

"Yes, well—"

" _Enough_ , Nessa. What's going on?"

"It's…" Nessa swallowed. "It's the Wizard."

A shock went through Elphaba, and she felt her skin prickle with energy. Her voice dropped as she asked, "What about him?"

"Do…do you remember when I wrote to you a few months ago, and told you about Grandfather visiting him?"

"You said he went to figure out some negotiations, but when he came back he was furious."

"It was about the Munchkins."

Elphaba nodded. "They're being forced to leave their farms and take on lower class jobs. They're replacing the Animals."

"Yes," said Nessa, not bothering to question how Elphaba had figured that out. "It's been happening quietly, but the Wizard is trying to pass laws that restrict them—raising their train ticket prices, not allowing them to work higher level jobs—"

"Like the Animal bans," Elphaba muttered. "He's taking away Munchkins' rights."

"Trying to," corrected Nessa. "Grandfather keeps battling him. He visited here at the grounds—"

"He _what_?"

Nessa gave her a look before continuing. "He came here, about a week ago. That's part of why I wrote you."

"What happened?"

"I don't know." Nessa pressed her fingers into her dress. "All I know is that Grandfather all but threw him out. He was…I've never seen him that angry."

"And the Wizard?"

"He was even worse."

There was a silence, deep and grim. Finally Elphaba looked up at her sister. "Nessa. If the Eminent's health is failing now…"

"I know," she whispered. She buried her face in her hands. "Oz, I know. If he…if he can't…I don't know what…"

Elphaba climbed to her knees and put a hand on Nessa's shoulder. "Hey. It's okay. He's still here. You're okay."

"I don't know what's going to happen," Nessa breathed. She took a shuddering breath, still looking down.

Elphaba swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. How could she say what was going to happen? How could she assure Nessarose when she herself wasn't sure of anything?

"I'm not going back to Shiz." She froze as soon as she said it.

Slowly, Nessa raised her head. "What?"

"I'm…not going back to Shiz."

"Since when?"

"Since I left at the beginning of the summer."

Nessa paused. "…We just thought you came home early. We didn't think…"

"Things weren't going well. I couldn't go back."

To her surprise, Nessarose just nodded. She lifted her head to stare out the window, her eyes losing focus. "Everything is changing."

"Yeah," Elphaba said quietly, sitting down again. "Yeah, it is."

/

The Eminent Thropp found them a while later, when they were walking through the corridors together. He greeted Elphaba calmly, though his voice seemed thinner than she remembered.

"How has your summer been?" he asked, walking with them down the hall that led to their bedrooms.

"Interesting," Elphaba replied. "And maybe a bit slow." The Eminent simply nodded and didn't press her for details. She watched him as they walked through the castle. He was indeed moving slower, but his jaw was set, his face expressionless. Nessa turned to meet her gaze, raising her eyebrows. _See?_

"Do you know how long you'll be with us?" he asked, oblivious to the girls' silent exchange.

"Not yet," Elphaba said. "As long as I'm needed, I suppose."

He paused a moment, touching his pocket. "I should tell you, then, that your father wrote to me. He will be returning within the week."

Elphaba glared at her sister, who seemed to shrink back in her chair. "But he's travelling," Nessa said, looking up at their grandfather. "He wasn't supposed to be back for weeks."

"His plans changed." The Eminent Thropp pursed his lips. "A lot of plans have been changing in Munchkinland lately."

They had reached Elphaba's room. Nessa stopped, but the Eminent stepped past her. "I'll leave you two be now. Welcome back, Elphaba."

Elphaba's teeth were clenched, and she didn't trust herself to respond. Nessa bade him goodnight, then turned to her sister. "Fabala, I—"

Elphaba brushed past her into the room, barely giving Nessarose time to follow her. "You said—"

"I didn't know!"

"I'm leaving," said Elphaba. "First thing tomorrow, I—"

"You _can't_!" Nessa leaned forward and grabbed her hand. "Please, don't go. I didn't know he was coming back. I swear I didn't."

"I can't be here when he returns."

" _Please_ , Elphaba. So much is happening now, I don't know what to do. Please, don't leave me."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Elphaba hissed. "I know even less about what's happening than you do. Father won't want me here, anyway. So what do you want me to do?"

"Stay. Please."

It wasn't Nessa's voice she heard. Suddenly Elphaba was miles away, her hand gripped tightly between two tiny pale ones. Two bright blue eyes were searching hers, begging her not to leave.

Elphaba tried to take a breath, choked, and tore her hand away. She pressed her palms to her eyes and forced herself to focus.

"Fine," she said. "I'll stay."

Nessarose sighed, sagging back in her chair. "Thank you."

Elphaba rubbed her face but made no response. There was a long pause, then, "I'll…leave you, then."

"This won't end well," said Elphaba. "I hope you realize that."

"You don't know that," Nessa said, hesitating at the door.

"This won't end well."

"Good night, Elphaba."

The door shut behind her, and Elphaba kicked off her boots and flopped onto the bed.

"This won't end well."

/

Elphaba woke early the next morning. It felt strange being in an actual bed again, and she was anxious to get up and move around.

She wandered the castle for a couple hours before finding Nessa in the dining room for breakfast. They spent the day roaming the grounds together until they joined the Eminent and a few other officials Elphaba only vaguely recognized from the castle for dinner.

The week passed like this, lazy and slow. Occasionally the sisters would discuss their Grandfather's health, or the Wizard's plans, or the news that was always trickling in from around Munchkinland.

Elphaba spent hours on end in the library, skimming through whatever she thought was useful. She had already read most of the books on Animal history and genetics, but she picked up more than a few stacks of texts on Munchkin politics, inter-Ozian negotiations, and the like. It was no secret that Munchkinland wasn't as well respected by the rest of Oz, but it was still disturbing to see the proof written down in front of her. Trade regulations, taxes, funding, even simple construction projects—they rarely worked in favor of the Munchkinlanders. And the problems had only increased in the last few decades.

"What a surprise," Elphaba muttered, pushing her current book away in disgust.

When she wasn't poring over dusty old books in a corner of the library, she would venture out onto the grounds. She had grown used to being outside, and the cool, towering stone walls of the castle seemed to close in on her if she spent too much time within them. Of course, the fact that the week was drawing to a close didn't help, either.

Elphaba found herself lying awake one night, the sheets kicked off her bed, scowling up at the ceiling. The room was too hot, and the air outside her window was even hotter. She sprawled across the mattress and did her best not to throw her pillows across the room. Lines from the books she had read that day were swirling through her head, too fast for her to put together sensibly. Not that it really mattered. The Wizard had all but gotten rid of the Animals, and the Munchkins were next. There wasn't much else to it.

By the time dawn came, she had given up and moved to the desk across her room. Her bed was too comfortable after a summer spent sleeping on the ground, and far too spacious after a semester spent curled up with…

Elphaba shook her head and buried her nose in the book she was holding.

The day began fairly normally. She skipped breakfast but met Nessa shortly afterwards. The sky was uncharacteristically cloudy, a fact that increased the nerves Elphaba had woken up with, so the girls found themselves wandering through more abandoned corners of the castle.

"Where do you think Mother's room was?"

They had been walking in silence the entire morning until Nessa quietly asked the question. Elphaba nearly tripped, her grip on the wheelchair tightening.

"I…have no idea."

"I want to ask Grandfather, but…"

"I'm not sure he would answer."

Nessa folded her hands in her lap and looked around at the paintings and banners that filled the walls they were passing through.

"Do you think it would be somewhere like this, where no one goes anymore? Or would it be in the main part of the castle?"

Elphaba gazed around. "She would have been in the main part when she was younger, probably close to where we're staying now. But I wouldn't be surprised if, when she was a teenager, she demanded to move into her own little corner, away from everything."

"Sounds a bit like you," Nessa said, a small smile coloring her voice.

"Well I have to get it from somewhere."

"Miss Nessarose?" The sisters turned to see one of the servants approaching. "Your father just arrived," she said quickly. "He's asked to see you."

"Does he know I'm here?" Elphaba asked before she could stop herself. Her hand had moved to Nessa's shoulder, but if the younger girl noticed, she didn't say anything.

"Yes. We told him you were with Miss Nessarose."

"Where is he?" asked Nessa.

"He was in his room when I left, but I believe he was heading to the study in the northeast wing."

"Thank you."

The servant curtsied a little and hurried off, leaving more than a few feet of space between herself and Elphaba as she passed. Elphaba made a face, which Nessa noticed.

"Come on, Fabala."

"I'm not—"

"I'm going to see him, and he already knows you're here. Just come on."

Elphaba grumbled, but adjusted her grip on the chair and started pushing her sister toward the northeast wing. Her boots clumped against the stone floors, echoing off the walls. Nessa directed her through the castle until they reached the doors of the study. Elphaba slowed her pace, but Nessa wheeled away from her and pushed through the doors.

"Welcome home, Father."

Frexspar turned to face them, a grin splitting his face. "Nessarose. I've missed you."

He bent down to hug her, and Nessarose returned it. "I've missed you, too. How was your trip? Why did you have to come home so soon?"

"Things are getting…difficult…in the rural regions." He straightened and finally looked at Elphaba. His eyes darkened as he studied her. "I wasn't aware you would be here."

"Oh look, we finally have something in common."

"Elphaba…" They both ignored Nessa. She sighed and tried again. "Do you need help unpacking, Father?"

He immediately turned back to her, his gaze warming again. "No, don't you worry about that. I've actually got some work to do. But I'll see you at dinner." His eyes flickered toward Elphaba, who crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the floor.

Frex leaned over to kiss Nessa's cheek. She hugged him back before turning her chair around and exiting, Elphaba following right behind her.

The door latched shut behind them.

"Please, don't say anything," Elphaba muttered as Nessa opened her mouth to speak. "I don't want to hear it."

"You'll be at dinner, right?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well… _technically_ , yes."

"So…no."

"Elphaba."

She groaned. "Fine. I'll be there. But don't blame me when things go terribly wrong."

"Oh, don't be so immature. Things won't go terribly wrong."

/

As it turned out, Nessarose was half-right. Things didn't go _terribly_ wrong, but the air was immediately charged as Elphaba stepped into the dining hall that evening. She avoided eye contact with everyone as she sat next to Nessa.

The meal started out quietly, with everyone's gaze focused on their food. They exchanged small talk—well, Nessa and the Eminent did. Elphaba and Frex made very little sound other than the clinking of silverware against their plates. Elphaba's leg was bouncing uncontrollably by the time they were down to custard and wine.

"Try this, Frexspar," the Eminent said, pouring him a glass. "It's a wonderfully sweet blend. One of Frottica's finest. Nessarose? Elphaba?"

Nessa took a glass but Elphaba shook her head. The mention of _Frottica_ made her stomach twist.

"Why did you have to come home so soon?" Nessa asked as their grandfather poured himself a glass.

"I couldn't pass the Munchkin River," Frex said, leaning back in his chair. "The villagers there wouldn't let me. They said it was getting dangerous, the closer you get to the border. Besides, most of the farms out that way are nearly abandoned by now."

"Families have been losing too many workers to the Emerald City," said the Eminent. He fingered the stem of his glass, his face shadowed. "I've heard of groups of Munchkins ambushing travelers on the Yellow Brick Road."

"It's really getting that out of hand?" asked Nessa.

"They want to be heard," Elphaba said. "If the Wizard isn't careful, he's going to have an all-out rebellion on his hands."

The Eminent tilted his head slightly and studied her. She stared back, wishing—not for the first time—that she could tell what he was thinking.

Finally, he said, "We'll have to make some arrangements for your journey back to school, then, if our roads aren't entirely safe."

Nessa glanced sideways at Elphaba, who flattened her hands against her dress. "Actually, I'm not returning to Shiz this fall."

The Eminent raised an eyebrow and said nothing. Nessa looked down at her bowl, her lips pressed together.

"What do you mean?" asked Frexspar.

Elphaba turned to face him. "I left Shiz last spring, and I do not plan on returning."

"If you think I'm going to just let you quit your education—"

"You didn't want me to go in the first place," Elphaba argued.

"Do notinterrupt me." Frex's voice was low, his eyes narrow. Elphaba felt her skin grow hot and a familiar energy begin to boil. She took a deep breath, digging her fingers into her legs. The Eminent lifted his glass and sipped his wine, regarding the entire scene calmly. Elphaba avoided his gaze as she pushed away from her chair and hurried out of the room, not bothering to excuse herself.

Footsteps sounded behind her, but she hurried to her room and closed the door before they could reach her. Cursing under her breath, she thrust an arm out toward her bed. The blankets and pillows went flying, smacking into the far wall before falling to the floor. Gritting her teeth, she lifted them and threw them again, letting the energy flowing through her release itself.

She had just lowered her arm when the door swung open behind her.

"We're not finished, Elphaba."

Elphaba faced her father. "I have nothing to say to you. This isn't your decision to make."

"I don't know what you're up to," Frex said, stepping in close, "but I will not let you bring it back to us."

"What are you talking about?"

"You will not stay here. I won't allow it."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes. "That's not your decision, either. I am welcome here so long as Grandfather and Nessa allow it."

Frex bristled at Nessa's name. "I won't have you endangering our family. You can't stay here."

"Well you're in luck, because I wasn't planning on it anyway," Elphaba spat. "But thank you, _Father_."

He rolled his eyes and turned away. "I expect you to be out of here by—"

"Nessarose asked me to be here. I will not leave until she's okay with it."

Frexspar glared, but he made no response until he was nearly out the door.

"When you were born, my first instinct was to throw you in the well," he muttered. "I should have done so while I had the chance."

The door slammed shut behind him. Elphaba screwed her eyes shut and did her best not to let the room explode around her.

/

Elphaba spent the rest of the evening on her windowsill. She let one leg dangle out the window, scuffing her heel occasionally against the stone wall. The air was stifling, even as the wide Munchkinland sun sank beneath the horizon, but she didn't have the energy to move back inside. She was too busy staring blankly out across the land. If she angled just a little bit north, she could pretend she was facing Shiz, and Crage Hall, and the little dorm room where maybe even now a tiny blonde sat—

There was a quiet knock on the door, followed by, "Elphaba?"

She held still for a moment longer, her gaze lingering, but then she tore away and swung her legs back into the room. "Come in, Nessa."

"Father is really upset," Nessarose said, wheeling into the room.

Elphaba snorted. "Good. The feeling's mutual."

"You know—"

"I do not and I never will have the relationship with him that you do. And you can scold me about it for the rest of my life, but right now I'm exhausted so if that's all you're here for, you might as well leave."

Nessa stayed quiet and let the silence stretch over them. Eventually Elphaba brought her knees to her chest and leaned against the stone wall of the windowsill. She closed her eyes as she heard Nessa wheeling closer.

"How did Grandfather react?" Elphaba asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm never really sure what he's thinking."

Elphaba nodded. "I'm surprised he still tolerates me being here."

"You remind him of Mother, I think," Nessa said quietly.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Nessa shrugged. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the sill by Elphaba's feet. They were quiet again, but it was more comfortable this time.

"Fabala?" Nessa asked after a while, staring out the window.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you want to go back?"

Elphaba followed her gaze, looking ever so slightly north again. "It's…complicated."

"You seemed to love it. Last winter, you were obviously dying to be there instead of here."

"A lot of things changed."

"Tell me."

"I can't," Elphaba sighed. "At least, not all of it."

"Tell me part of it, then."

Another sigh. "My headmistress…"

"That Morrible woman?"

"Yeah. What do you know about her?"

"I've only heard her name in passing," said Nessa.

"I think she's working with the Wizard."

Nessa frowned. "What kind of trouble did you cause?"

Elphaba closed her eyes, remembering broken curfews and cryptic letters and a hidden memorial and the glint of a knife that never, even after all these months, truly faded from her memory.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I left and I'm not going back."

"What about your roommate?"

Elphaba tensed. "What about her?"

Nessa glanced up at her, suddenly aware she'd hit a nerve. "The two of you just seemed close last year. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine," she muttered.

"So…nothing happened? She has nothing to do with why you left?"

"No," Elphaba said. It wasn't entirely true, of course, but what was she supposed to say? She could barely think Glinda's name without feeling like she was suffocating.

Besides, from the way Nessarose stared at her, she clearly suspected more about the truth than Elphaba could ever say.

Elphaba squeezed her eyes shut again and rested her chin on her knees. She heard Nessa shift around a bit before falling still.

"The sky is beautiful tonight."

Elphaba tilted her head and opened an eye. It was barely even dark, the heavens were glittering so. Her gaze wandered over a particularly dazzling streak of stars and she couldn't help but smile.

"I missed this, you know," Elphaba said quietly. "It was never as impressive at Shiz."

"What do you mean?"

"With all the lights and the city nearby, the stars just weren't as bright. They were still pretty, of course, but it was nothing like this."

Except once. There was one night, toward the end of the year, when Glinda came back to find Elphaba staring longingly out the window.

" _I miss the stars," Elphaba whispered, almost to herself. "They're not as bright here."_

" _Do you trust me?" asked Glinda, stepping up to her and intertwining their fingers._

" _You know I do."_

 _Glinda studied her for a moment, quietly, intently. It was an art, really, their silent conversations. One they had mastered, for better or worse, by the time summer arrived at Shiz._

" _Come with me."_

 _Glinda led her as far as she dared, stopping at a secluded part of the campus, surrounded by towering trees and shadows. She let go of Elphaba's hand and looked up, concentration clouding her features. Her eyes seemed to reflect and absorb the heavens all at once, and Elphaba was mesmerized._

 _The air around them began to glow. Elphaba thought it was magic, until Glinda's eyes found hers and motioned up._

" _How did you…" Elphaba turned slowly on the spot, staring at the illuminated sky above them._

" _It was just an experiment. We've been talking about compound enchantments, and I wanted to know what would happen if you combined a purifying spell with a bit of weather manipulation. It's not perfect, and I know it's probably not as bright as it gets out in Munchkinland, but…"_

 _Elphaba's throat closed up, but she managed to shake her head and let out a little laugh. "This…you're…"_

 _Glinda stretched onto her toes and pressed a kiss to the corner of her jaw. "I may have also put up a barrier charm around the grove. You know, just in case." Her hands found Elphaba's waist and pulled her closer._

" _Glinda…"_

Elphaba's gaze focused again, and she blinked away the memory, willing it to fade back into the blur that made up her last few weeks at Shiz. And yet, she could still feel the whisper of a tiny body against hers, pressing her into the ground while the stars glimmered down at them, keeping their secrets.

"That's a shame." Nessa's voice was as distant as Elphaba's thoughts. Elphaba pressed her legs together and let out a shuddering breath.

"Yeah," she breathed. Her head seemed lighter all of a sudden, and when she stared back out into the sky, it felt a little like floating.


	3. Chapter 3

Glinda knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't keep herself from trembling as she walked into the café.

Fiyero saw her first. He pulled out the chair next to him and patted it lightly. His eyes were kind as she sat down, but there was something else in his gaze. She glanced around and saw it in everyone else, but she couldn't quite place what it was. Fear, perhaps, or wariness. Something that held them back, that kept them tiptoeing around her.

Glinda stared down at her hands, folded in her lap. She felt guilty—she had all summer, but now it was worse than ever. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and, still staring down at her lap, she spoke up.

"I'm sorry." The boys all turned to stare at her, but she couldn't quite meet their eyes. "This whole summer I've been selfish. I've hurt you."

"Don't be ridiculous—"

"It's true." She looked up at Fiyero, then at the rest of them.

"You miss her," he said. "No one blames you for that."

Glinda swallowed. She wanted to argue, but instead she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Either way," she said, "I'm sorry. And…you were right. I think getting off campus for a day is a good idea."

Crope and Tibbett sat up straighter, grins spreading across their faces. Fiyero touched her shoulder gently and Boq raised an eyebrow. Glinda wondered if he had always had that expression, or if it was just leftover from his time spent around Elphaba. She looked down again.

"Just…can we not go to the Peach and Kidneys?" she asked, her voice small.

"Done," Crope said, nodding eagerly. "We can go shopping instead, and then there are plenty of other restaurants in town."

"It'll be busy this weekend, with everyone arriving for the new semester," said Tibbett. "Think we can get hold of a carriage before then?"

"Consider it done," Fiyero said. "You in, Boq?"

Glinda looked up and met Boq's eyes. His head was tilted to the side as he studied her, but then he smiled a little. "Of course I am."

* * *

Two days later, they were standing near Shiz's front gates, waiting for the carriage Fiyero had rented to arrive. Boq was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk and hugging his knees to his chest, with Crope and Tibbett lounging on either side of him. Glinda rocked back and forth on her heels and swung her purse from hand to hand. Fiyero stepped up next to her and watched her movements.

"You're nervous," he said. Glinda stilled and looked down at her feet.

"A little," she confessed. "But I suppose that's why this'll be good for me."

Fiyero nodded. "For all of us."

The carriage arrived then, and Fiyero gave her a hand up into the cab. Glinda stared out the window as they rattled away from campus, counting on the boys to make conversation.

They did. Fiyero leaned back in his seat and brushed his hair back. "One week until we're second years," he said. "It's crazy."

"Have you chosen a specialty yet?" Boq asked. Fiyero shrugged.

"Politics. Since that's what my life will be after Shiz, anyway."

"Noble prince," Crope said, batting his lashes. Fiyero grinned and kicked him lightly.

"Okay. And what about you?"

"Probably business," said Crope. "Or accounting. It'll get me a good job in the Emerald City, and my father will be happy."

"And you'll die of boredom within five years," Tibbett said.

"Not true," Crope protested. "I never said what _kind_ of business I'd work for."

Glinda giggled, and all eyes turned toward her. "Oh, don't ask me," she said. "I don't even want to think about it."

"Same here," said Tibbett. "Why should we have to decide now, anyway? We're barely old enough to live on our own, let alone figure out what we'll spend the rest of our lives doing."

"What about you, Boq?"

Boq looked down at his hands. "I don't know. I want to pair up history and life science, but…"

"But that's entirely too much work," said Crope, pressing his hand to his chest. Boq rolled his eyes.

"But what, Boq?" Glinda asked.

"Well, it's just…my family needs all the help they can get on the farm. And with Munchkinlanders starting to get lower jobs…I'm just not sure if it makes sense to continue studying that…"

The group shifted, and Crope put a hand on Boq's shoulder. "You don't have to decide now. In fact," he said, looking out the window, "the only thing you have to do now is let us drag you around Shiz for a few hours."

The carriage pulled to a stop. "Great," Boq mumbled, but he was smiling as Crope grabbed his hand and tugged him out of the cab and onto the street.

Shiz was a different world during the summer. The stores were emptier, the people moved slower. There was a sort of tranquility without the college running through its semester. Glinda took a deep breath and followed the boys to the first cluster of market stalls.

Crope ran up to her and took one of her hands, swinging it back and forth. Within seconds Tibbett had grabbed the other, and the three of them led the way.

As it turned out, Crope and Tibbett were pretty good at shopping. They dragged Glinda through racks and rows and shelves. Tibbett held a silk scarf up to her hair, then shook his head and threw it around Crope's neck instead. Crope dug through a bin of shoes and came up with three pairs of heels for her to try on, and even a pair of dress shoes for Boq, though he couldn't afford them, and he refused to let anyone else buy them.

Eventually Glinda wandered over to a makeup booth, intent on replacing some of the bottles she had broken earlier in the summer. Crope followed, dragging an amused Fiyero behind him, and all but begged both of them to try a gold eyeliner he found. Grinning, Glinda paid for a jar of powder and a perfume that smelled like wildflowers. She left Fiyero to argue with Crope and turned around to look for the other two.

Boq and Tibbett were standing outside a book shop across the street. Tibbett was pulling books from one of the shelves that sat outside the door and reading the titles out loud. Boq was only half-listening. He gazed glumly down the street and scraped the toe of his boot against the ground.

Glinda made her way over. "Tibbett, I have a question for you," she said, smirking when he turned toward her. "Fiyero in gold eyeliner: yes or no?"

"Oh, _hell_ yes."

"Crope's across the street trying to convince him. I'm sure he'd appreciate help."

Tibbett's eyes flickered toward Boq, so quick that Glinda might have imagined it, and then he was grinning and hurrying off. Glinda looked up at the letters painted over the door of the book store.

"You want to take a look inside?" she asked Boq. He shrugged and followed her through the door.

The interior of the shop was mostly old wooden shelves that reached from the floor to the ceiling. There was a tiny counter at the front, where a gray-haired woman sat and greeted them as they walked in. Glinda gave her a little wave and led the way down an aisle toward the back. The place was overflowing with books—packed into shelves, stacked against the walls, scattered across the floor. There was a smell of old leather bindings and parchment that was all too familiar, and she wondered if Elphaba had ever been in here.

When they reached the back wall, Glinda turned toward Boq, who met her gaze calmly.

"Are you okay, Boq?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a bookshelf. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm not the only one who misses her." Glinda sighed and slumped against the wall. "I…know that the way I've been dealing with all this is…well, not healthy. And I know all of you realized that, and tried to help, but I kept pushing you away."

"Understatement," Boq muttered. He looked surprised when Glinda heard him. "I-I didn't—"

"No, you're right," she said. "I can't keep acting like I'm the only person she hurt. Or like she's the only person who's causing pain."

Boq ran a hand through his hair. "You're in love with her. What the two of you have…that's beyond what any of us can even imagine."

Glinda blushed and looked down at her feet. "But that doesn't change the fact that the rest of you have been hurting, and I haven't been helping." When Boq said nothing, she pushed herself up and brushed off her dress. "Everything's going to change this year, isn't it? We all need to take care of each other. That's what she would want us to do."

Boq looked at her for a long moment, then gave a firm nod.

Elphaba had also wanted them to forget about her, to move on, but that part just wasn't an option. Glinda held out her hand and squeezed Boq's fingers gently when he took it. Together, they left the store and walked back across the street, where Fiyero had managed to get away with nothing fancier than a jar of his usual cologne. Crope and Tibbett spotted them and bounded over, rambling on about restaurants Glinda had never heard of for dinner.

They settled on a place a couple blocks down and started walking. Glinda watched as Crope and Tibbett grabbed Boq's hands and walked with him the way they had done with her earlier. She listened to their—mostly successful—attempts to make him laugh, and she let herself smile, enjoying the slow, summer night.

* * *

Glinda was exhausted when she walked back to her room that night. She froze just inside the doorway. Part of the reason she didn't leave the room all summer was this: coming back, only to find half of the room still empty—it felt like she was losing Elphie all over again.

She took a deep breath and walked across the room. She set her purse down on her desk along with her shopping bag and continued on to the window. The sun was setting and the night was just cool enough that maybe some fresh air would make it easier to breathe in the room. She unlatched the window and swung it open, leaning out for a moment to stare at the darkening sky.

Everything _was_ going to change this year. She could feel it. Everything had been changing, from the moment she arrived at Shiz almost a year ago. Not all of it was bad, though. Change had brought her and Elphie together, hadn't it? But then again, it also tore them apart.

Glinda slumped against the windowsill. Not for the first time, she wished she had chased Elphaba down that night and refused to leave her side. But it was too late now, and there was no use wishing. She didn't know what the semester would bring. She didn't know if she could handle it. But she had to try. For the boys' sakes, and for Elphaba's, she had to try.

And maybe, just maybe, if there was anything good left in Oz, time would bring her and Elphie together again.

* * *

Summer always seemed to blur more than the other seasons, and life at the Colwen Grounds was no exception.

Elphaba rarely saw anyone but Nessa. She didn't really make an effort to avoid her father, but their paths almost never crossed. Whether he was purposefully staying out of sight or just busy, she didn't know. Either way was fine with her.

The Eminent also remained shut away, spending long hours in his office. Nessa would spend at least a few hours working with him every day, but he stayed in there long after she was gone. He had all of his meals brought to him and almost never emerged from the room, and unless Nessarose or one of the servants was coming or going, the door remained closed.

"He used to get up and walk around the castle," Nessa said one day as she came out of his office. "Now he just never leaves."

On the few occasions that she did see her grandfather, Elphaba noticed how much he was changing. His skin, though still dark and leathery as always, seemed just a little too loose on him. His voice was raspier, his eyes were heavier. When he moved he did so slowly, his jaw clenched and his face blank. Elphaba had a sneaking suspicion that he should be walking with a cane, but she also knew that would never happen.

The Eminent Thropp, of course, made no acknowledgement of his weakening body. How could he, really, when every day messages flew between the Colwen Grounds and the rest of Oz: stiff, patronizing letters from ambassadors in the Gillikin, scribbled, roughly translated reports from leaders in the Vinkus or Quadling Country. And then there were the countless papers that came in from all over Munchkinland. There were complaints about the increase of prices and taxes from the Emerald City, farmers' pleas for the return of their workers, and even news clippings about the violence near the border.

The Munchkins who delivered these letters arrived dirty, tired, and hungry. Nessa usually sat with them in the dining hall and, if Frexspar didn't get there first, Elphaba would join her. The messengers didn't speak much, but their very appearance seemed to radiate desperation.

Elphaba knew the feeling.

She took to spending her nights in the library. Sometimes she would have a book or paper with her, but often she would simply curl tight in a chair near the window and stare out at the dark sky. She didn't think about much; she just sat there, letting herself be.

The longer she spent at the Colwen Grounds, the more Nessa seemed to need her. The younger Thropp would come back from working with the Eminent, her mind full of new questions and worries. She would constantly ask for Elphaba's opinions or advice, though at this point the green girl knew less than she did. More and more often, her answer to the questions of _what do you think_ or _what would you do_ was a long pause and a quiet, resigned, "I don't know." Nessarose would get frustrated, but Elphaba couldn't really say anything else. Besides, she had a feeling that Nessa wasn't always telling her everything.

Every day, Elphaba felt herself growing more restless. With every new message that arrived, with every new report they heard, she felt a relentless, anxious aching to do _something_. But there was nothing for her to do here. She could sit with weary travelers in the dining hall in the hopes that they'd tell her something, or she could listen to Nessa's summary of whatever issue she and the Eminent were dealing with that day, or she could bury herself in endless piles of books about politics and Ozian relations. But none of that did her or anyone else any good. She was beginning to feel trapped, useless, and it reminded her too much of the previous spring.

One morning, when she had lost track of the number of days she'd been at the Colwen Grounds, she woke up early enough to slip out of the castle without being seen. The sun rose around her as she wandered the grounds. She let her feet carry her aimlessly through gardens and stone paths. She passed the stables and the small shack that had once been used to store weapons. She remembered last Lurlinemas, when the Eminent had asked her to walk with him through the grounds, and she had told him why she didn't want Nessa to take on the Eminency. It all seemed so pointless now. Did she make the right decision, all those months ago? Did it even matter?

Eventually she came upon a small grove of trees. She paused and looked around. The castle had faded into the distance. A few feet in front of her, almost completely hidden by the grass that had grown up around it, was an old metal trap. It was clamped shut and looked as though it hadn't been touched since…

"Peric," Elphaba whispered. She knelt down in the grass and ran her fingers over the metal. She had completely forgotten about the night she first met the Bird. What was he doing right now, in the shadows of the Emerald City? Was he okay?

Elphaba frowned and sat back on her heels. She couldn't stay here much longer. She knew, however reluctantly, where she had to go eventually. And really, what else could she do? Perhaps, after an entire summer spent avoiding, it was finally time she stopped putting off the inevitable.

Mind made up, Elphaba rose to her feet, brushed the grass from her knees, and quietly made her way back to the castle.

* * *

Nessarose found her not long after sunset. Elphaba was in the library, having just swiped a few books from the dusty shelves and stuffed them into her bag.

"You've got your travelling clothes on," she said, eyeing Elphaba's thick boots and cloak.

"I was just on my way to find you," Elphaba replied, pulling the strap of her bag over her head and into place at the crook of her shoulder.

"You're just going to leave? Without any warning?"

"Don't get so upset. There's nothing for me to do here."

"But I need you."

"You need to focus on the Eminency, on Grandfather," Elphaba said. "Keep learning from him. Do as much as you can to help him."

"And who's going to help me?" Nessa demanded. "You can't just leave, not when everything is—"

"Nessa, I can't stay. I'm no use here. I—"

"Where else are you going to go?" she snapped. When Elphaba shrugged, she let out a noise of frustration and turned her chair so she was facing away. "What, are you just going to wander Munchkinland until you starve to death? Have you even thought this through, or are you just running away again?"

Elphaba clenched her fists. "I'm not running away. I can't just sit here while Munchkinland and the rest of Oz is falling apart. I have to do something."

"What could you possibly do?" asked Nessa. "What could a scrawny, unfriendly green girl even hope to accomplish on her own?"

"A lot, actually," Elphaba said. She let out a breath. "Nessa, please. I don't want to fight with you on this. Please, just understand that I—"

"I don't want to hear it, Elphaba." Nessarose grabbed the wheels of her chair and pushed away. "You obviously don't care enough to stay, and nothing I say is going to change that. So go."

"This isn't about you. I—"

But Nessarose was already gone, letting the doors of the library slam shut behind her.

* * *

Elphaba left less than half an hour later. After grabbing some food from the kitchen and fastening her bag shut, she slipped through the castle, doing her best to move silently.

"You'll want to use a side door."

She jumped at the voice and spun around. Her eyes met a dark gaze. The Eminent Thropp was watching her from across the hall.

"I—"

"You are leaving, yes," he said. His voice was low in the quiet hall, and the rasp was all but gone. "If you use the main doors at the front, you'll draw attention to yourself."

"How did you…?" Elphaba fell silent as he stepped closer.

"There's an old servant's entrance on the southeastern wall. No one goes there anymore. Let me show you."

She didn't even think to hesitate as he moved silently away. He led her quickly through the castle, stopping once or twice when they heard footsteps nearby. When they reached the entrance—a small, wooden door placed just out of sight behind a cobweb-covered staircase—the Eminent stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. There was a window across the hall that let the moonlight in, and in its pale glow he looked sicker than ever. Yet his eyes gleamed as if he had never been more alive.

"I know I haven't been as…present, during your stay here. But I have been paying attention."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow but remained silent. The Eminent paused a moment, as if thoroughly debating over what he should say next.

"It seems to me that our…situations…may be similar."

"Sir?"

"You know who you should and shouldn't trust," he said. "And you know that there are some things the Eminent Thropp—current and future—simply cannot do."

Elphaba couldn't have looked away if she wanted to. Slowly, she set her jaw and nodded. The Eminent squeezed her shoulder gently.

"Be safe, Elphaba. And good luck."

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. It didn't matter. The Eminent Thropp backed out of the moonlight and retreated, disappearing back into the castle.

And as Elphaba turned and pushed open the servants' door, she couldn't help but wonder how he possibly knew everything he did—because there was no doubt that he knew everything.

The door led to a stone tunnel, which she followed a short distance before coming out near the back of the stables. Elphaba straightened, sealed the door behind her, and adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

She was nearly off the grounds by the time the realization hit her: today was the day she was supposed to be returning to Shiz.

For a moment, Elphaba stood still. She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around herself, and let the thought pulse through her for just a heartbeat.

 _Glinda_.

And then the moment was up, and Elphaba opened her eyes and kept walking.

The Emerald City was waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

Students were beginning to trickle back onto the campus at Shiz.

The prospect of facing her classmates again was daunting, and doubts were starting to creep back in, but Glinda was determined not to lock herself away again. So when the last free day before classes arrived, she dragged herself out of Elphaba's bed and got dressed to meet the boys for breakfast at the café. She slipped into her most comfortable dress and even put on a touch of makeup. Maybe if she looked the part, no one would realize she was faking it.

The café was full of familiar faces, as well as a few new ones, but it only took her a few seconds to find the group of boys sitting in their usual corner. Fiyero pushed a plate toward her as she sat down. Glinda's eyes widened as she saw the pastry.

"It was the last one, and some first year boy was eyeing it. Those are your favorite, right?"

She smiled. Perhaps she could do this after all.

They spent the day out around campus, enjoying the sun and the last hours of freedom before classes began again. Crope and Tibbett brought blankets. Boq and Fiyero brought a basket full of food for everyone.

And Glinda, unfortunately, brought trouble.

"We can leave," Boq muttered as a familiar group approached them.

"I'll have to deal with it eventually," Glinda said, though she brought her knees to her chest and kept her gaze down.

"Good afternoon, Glinda," Pfannee called. "Or did you change your name again?"

Fiyero scooted closer to the blonde, but she just looked up at the group that had surrounded them.

"Hello Pfannee. Milla, Shenshen. How was your summer break?"

"Good," Milla said with a smirk. "How was yours? Are you still mourning over the vegetable?"

Glinda had no response to that, so she just looked down again, fingers picking at the end of her dress. The boys were saying something, but she couldn't really hear it anymore.

"Fine, whatever, we're leaving," she heard Pfannee eventually say. "See you in class, Glinda."

Glinda scowled as the other girls walked away. Fiyero put a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged him off.

"I'm fine," she said quietly.

"I thought they backed off last semester," Boq said, glaring at their retreating backs.

"They did…for a while." Glinda closed her eyes. "But when she left…"

Crope lifted his head from Tibbett's lap and crawled closer to her. "Don't worry, Glinda," he said. "We're right here with you. We won't let you face them alone."

To their credit, the boys kept their word. As classes began at Shiz and the students jumped back into the routine of the semester, Glinda found herself clinging to her friends more than ever. They would meet for breakfast every morning—a fact which secretly delighted the boys, since it meant she was eating regularly again—and head off to classes. Glinda had most of her classes with at least one of them, but she also frequently saw Pfannee or Milla or Shenshen throughout the day. And, by some cruel twist of fate, or perhaps just the cruelness of her headmistress, she had her history class with all three of them, Professor Nikidik, and none of the boys.

The history teacher had only gotten worse over the summer. His eyes caught Glinda's when she walked into his classroom on the first day. He didn't speak to her as she took her usual seat at the back of the room, but his smirk as he looked at the empty chair next to her said it all. Glinda pulled her notebook out of her bag and stared down at it, counting down until the hour was over.

There was only one thing worse than her history class, and that was the two hour sorcery seminar with Madame Morrible right afterward.

It wasn't just that Morrible's eyes gleamed dangerously when she looked at her. It wasn't just that the headmistress wore a triumphant, arrogant smile every time their eyes met. It wasn't just that Morrible was the biggest reason Elphaba had disappeared months ago. As if that wasn't bad enough, Glinda's magic was declining.

It was subtle. She would mix up incantations or forget a particular hand motion—simple mistakes that didn't do any harm. She told herself she was just distracted. The semester was already wearing down on her, and it wasn't even the end of the first week. Surely it was just her exhaustion.

But Morrible wouldn't allow her any excuses. In fact, she pushed her harder than ever. If Glinda wasn't dragging herself through the motions, then she was brimming with frustration. She would leave the class hot and weary and torn between embarrassment and anger.

The days immediately blurred together, and by the time the first week ended Glinda felt as though an entire month had gone by.

Still, it was surprisingly easy to fall back into the semester. The daily routine was numbing, but it forced her to get up and do something with her day. Wake up, go to class, eat something, do homework, go to sleep. It wasn't much, and there were many days when the idea of getting out of bed sent her hiding back under the covers, but she pulled herself together and went through the motions anyway. She was managing.

The end of her second week came around. Glinda walked into her sorcery seminar already dreaming about going back to her room and curling up in Elphaba's bed.

She warmed up with a few minor spells before focusing on their assignment for the day. They were supposed to be learning to cast dual spells, but the amount of concentration required was more than Glinda could summon. She started with her pink-tinged flames, letting them flicker above her palm. When those were steady, she raised her other hand and stretched her fingers toward the book on the desk in front of her, attempting to lift it. But every time she managed to move the book, the flames went out. And when she conjured the flames again, the book would drop to the desk. Once—when Morrible was, thank Oz, looking the other way—the book burst into flames as it was floating in mid-air. Glinda yelped and yanked her hands back. The book clattered onto the desk unharmed, but she switched to a different spell after that.

When Morrible finally called out for them to pack their things, Glinda sighed in relief and began gathering her books. She was stopped, however, by a voice close behind her.

"Miss Glinda."

She stiffened, still bent over her bag. "Madame Morrible."

"I was wondering if I could talk to you in my office."

The back of Glinda's neck prickled as she stood and pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder. She kept her eyes on her shoes. "Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, my dear. But this is important."

Glinda swallowed. The last of her classmates were trickling out the door, leaving her alone. Morrible placed a hand on her shoulder. There was a flicker of panic, unexpectedly sharp against the miserable state she'd been dragging through, but it was all too clear that she had no choice, so she simply nodded and let the headmistress lead her out of the room and deeper into the sorcery building.

Morrible's office was nearly the size of a classroom and lined with endless shelves of books and scrolls. There were a few picture frames on the walls—photographs of the campus, or the Emerald City, and even one of the headmistress shaking the hand of a short, balding man who Glinda didn't recognize. A large stone fireplace took up the majority of one side of the room. There was nothing but ash in it at the moment, but Glinda could only see flames, a burning journal, and Elphaba's face as she returned, grey and shaking, to their room.

"Sit." Morrible nudged her toward a small wooden chair before taking her own seat at a desk that stood near the center of the room.

Glinda rubbed her palms against her skirt. "Why am I here, Madame?"

"Miss Glinda, I believe I asked you to sit."

Even after two hours of sorcery practice, Glinda felt the energy roll through her. She trembled as she stepped forward and ever so carefully took her seat. She couldn't quite meet Morrible's eyes, but she still saw the smirk. Glinda's cheeks burned and her fingers dug into the fabric of her dress.

"As I'm sure you know, Miss Glinda, second year students at Shiz are required to choose a specialty in order to further their education. This way you can begin taking classes that are more suited toward your field of study."

Glinda shifted in her seat. She knew what Morrible was expecting her to say, and a year ago, she would have said it. But a specialty in sorcery no longer seemed appealing—especially not when it meant spending most of her time in Morrible's classroom.

"Miss Glinda?"

"Architecture," she said suddenly. Glinda blinked as soon as the word came out, but she thought of the buildings scribbled into the margins of her notebooks, and the math equations that came so naturally she could solve them quicker than Elphaba, and the book whose spine she had long since worn out, which still reminded her of the green girl who had brought it back from the library and offered it, shyly, to her. Glinda sat up a little straighter. "I want to study architecture."

Morrible paused. The smirk had faded from her face, replaced by something impassive, and Glinda had the feeling she was going to have to fight for this.

"That is…unusual," said the headmistress, folding her hands on top of her desk. "I was sure you were going to pursue sorcery. It is, after all, your best subject."

Glinda felt her neck heat up, but she spoke calmly. "Not quite, Madame. Mathematics was my best subject last year. Surely you remember that I struggled quite a bit in your class, especially at the beginning of the year."

"Yes, but once you moved past that you showed remarkable talent." Morrible's eyes had narrowed, but Glinda only sat taller. "I think you would be wasting that if you were to choose another specialty."

"I wish to study architecture," Glinda protested. "I—"

"As your sorcery teacher, I must insist that you at least give this matter some thought."

"But—"

"I cannot allow you to make a rash decision simply because you've made a few foolish mistakes in class this year."

"That's not why—"

"And even more importantly," the headmistress said, leaning forward. "I will not let you throw away a career in sorcery simply because of your feelings for an overly zealous green girl."

There it was. A wave of energy passed through her again as anger coiled tight inside her chest. Even now, with Dillamond's research destroyed and Elphaba gone from the school, Morrible was still controlling her. How many times had she been warned not to trust this woman? Yet here she was, unable to escape.

Morrible glanced around as the air began to shimmer around them. "Your lack of control is almost insulting, Miss Glinda, and it only goes to show that a specialty in sorcery is your best option."

Glinda opened her mouth to respond—or maybe to just summon a ball of fire and be done with this—but Morrible turned away and reached for a stack of papers. "Just think about it, my dear. I'll see you next week."

Glinda stood stiffly and left before Morrible could say another word. Some terrible part of her hoped to run into Pfannee or Avaric on the way back to Crage Hall, but she met no one.

By the time she made it back to her room the magic was practically boiling beneath her skin. Every hair on her body was on end and she could hear the air vibrating around her. She threw her bag off to the side and stood in the middle of the room, holding her hand palm up in front of her.

Her brow furrowed as she focused on the center of her palm. Her hands were rougher than they had been a year ago, the skin scraped and calloused from months of casting spells. Glinda felt it prickle and heat up. She let out a noise of frustration, forced more magic to her palm, and finally released the energy pouring through her. The flames burst to life above her hand, crackling and snarling and stretching up until they flickered against the ceiling. They spread wider, fighting Glinda's control, and for a brief moment she feared she would let go and destroy the whole room.

She gulped and brought her second hand up to join the other one. The fire shrank back down, but magic still coursed through her, begging to be let loose. She took a deep breath, exhaled, then flexed her fingers.

The flames pulled back, contracting into a ball about the size of her head. They flashed a deep, deep magenta, and Glinda pulled the fire in even more. Power was rushing to her fingertips, pouring itself into the flames. Suddenly the spell flared white, burning into her vision.

Glinda cried out and turned her head away. She felt her cheeks and forehead beginning to sting. All of her energy was pouring through her, releasing into the fire or just into the air that hummed around her. Or maybe her ears were just ringing. She began to tremble again, this time from exhaustion, but the spell clung to her. Her hands and forearms burned. Her eyes screwed shut against the light. With one last burst of energy, Glinda tugged her hands away.

The spell released in a sweltering gust of wind, shoving her back against the wall. Clothes and papers rustled and the window banged open. Then the room fell silent.

Glinda held still and waited for the pounding in her ears to fade away. Slowly, she opened an eye to peer around the room. When nothing seemed to be on fire, she opened her other eye and started to climb to her feet. The skin on her arms was bright pink and stung fiercely, but nothing else was damaged.

She stumbled over to Elphaba's bed, completely drained. She didn't know what just happened. Right now, she didn't even want to know.

There was a jar of burn cream, the kind Elphaba used, in her bag. She should grab it, because the pain on her arms was bringing tears to her eyes, but it was in the middle of the room. It seemed so far away…

"Elphie," she whispered, collapsing onto the pillow. When had she closed her eyes? She didn't remember. "I need you here, Elphie. Please…come back."

* * *

"Where have you been?" Boq asked the following Monday. "We didn't see you all weekend."

"I had homework," Glinda mumbled.

"It's the second week of classes."

She ignored him and took her usual seat beside Fiyero. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the two boys arguing silently, eyes flashing and hands moving, but before either of them could address her again their teacher had entered and the class fell into the rustle of books and journals being pulled out of bags.

Glinda sank down until her head was resting on the crook of her elbow. She lost herself to the clicking of chalk against the board at the front of the room and the scratching of her pencil against her notebook. Not a single word of the lecture registered with her, but she copied down the notes and didn't really have to think about much else.

The class passed slowly, finally ending when the bell across campus tolled the hour. Glinda slid her things back into her bag and heaved herself up from her chair. Fiyero stood as well and Boq was clearly trying to catch her gaze, but before any of them could so much as open their mouths another boy was there, leaning across the table to get Glinda's attention.

"What do you want, Avaric?" she asked. Avaric grinned and looked over his shoulder.

"Weird, isn't it?" he asked. "Class seems much more boring now without the green bean."

"Shove off, Avaric," Fiyero muttered. He stepped back to let Glinda pass in front of him and urged her out of the classroom. She closed her eyes and let Fiyero's hand on her back lead her. She focused on breathing through her nose and pushing back the trickle of magic that ran through her. She couldn't freak out again. Not like the other night.

After the amount of energy the fire spell had cost her, she was lucky she made it out unharmed. As it was, she had collapsed and stayed asleep until halfway through the next morning, when she woke up fully dressed on top of Elphaba's covers. After digging through her bag and grabbing the old jar of burn cream to put on her arms, she had kicked off her shoes, changed into different clothes, and crawled back into bed. The cream on her arms smelled like Elphaba. She had drifted off again until the next day, when she really had stayed in the room with her homework.

The three of them managed to ditch Avaric. Fiyero let go of her and Boq fell into step beside them as they made their way toward the main square.

Glinda slowed down when she felt the Munchkin's eyes on her. "What is it, Boq?"

"N-nothing," he said. His cheeks reddened. "It's just, you were gone all weekend, and we—"

She sighed. "I told you. I was just working in my room."

"For the entire weekend, Glinda? Really?"

"Do you think I'm lying?"

"Come on, you two. Relax."

Glinda scowled at Fiyero before turning back to Boq. "Why would I lie to you about this?"

The Munchkin shifted his weight. "I never said…all I'm saying is we're worried about you."

She felt her face grow hot. "You don't need to protect me," she all but hissed.

"You're the one that said we needed to take care of each other!" Boq stepped forward, reaching for her, but she pushed his hand away. Her stomach twisted as the hurt crossed his face, but she hefted her bag on her shoulder and stormed off.

First Morrible, and now Boq. She didn't want to be looked after. She didn't want to be told what to do. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Glinda—"

"Leave me alone!" she said, spinning around to face Fiyero. He stopped short and held his hands up. His eyes widened and darted between her face and her hands. "What?" she demanded.

"Y-you…" He looked down at her hands again. Glinda followed his gaze and realized her fists were glowing slightly. She shook them out and took a deep breath. Fiyero took a cautious step closer. "Boq didn't mean…I mean…"

"I'm not going to shatter," she said. She wasn't entirely sure it was true, but she swallowed hard and went on. "You guys don't need to protect me."

"That's what friends are for." He gave her a shaky smile, but it quickly faded. "We're not trying to be controlling, I promise."

Glinda lowered her eyes. "It feels like you've done nothing but take care of me, ever since…"

"You're not a burden, if that's what you're wondering."

She looked up, surprised, but Fiyero just gave her a small, sad smile. "You're not. And you're not the only one who's struggling. We're worried about her, too."

Glinda let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to snap at Boq. After that trip to town, I thought we were okay, but…oh, Oz, I'm so sorry."

Fiyero sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, things aren't going to get better because you have one good day. All of us are hurting, and all of us are trying to help each other. It's…it's a mess."

"Yeah."

"We're worried about Elphaba, but we can't do anything to help her. So we worry even more about you, because we _can_ try to help you. It's like…it's kind of like we owe it to her. And I think…for Boq…I think he feels guilty."

"Guilty?"

"I mean, obviously he's hurt. After you, he was the closest to her. But there's also guilt—just a little bit. I think he feels like…maybe he could have tried harder, done something to protect the research. He could have done something more to make it so that Elphaba wouldn't leave."

Glinda shook her head. "No," she whispered. "There's nothing he could have done. Nothing would have changed her mind."

"I know that. And I think, deep down, Boq does too. But he still feels guilty, and he's trying to make it up to her by protecting you…if that makes any sense. It's just…it's what Elphaba would have wanted."

Glinda's face hardened. It was exactly what she had told Boq, but somehow it still hurt. "Elphaba also wanted to leave us all behind. She wanted us to forget about her."

"Glinda…"

"I'll apologize to Boq for snapping at him."

"Glinda—"

"See you later, Fiyero."

She brushed past him and headed to the dorm, not stopping until she had locked herself in her room and crawled back into Elphaba's bed. It didn't matter that she still had history class that day. It didn't matter that the sun was shining through her window. She shouldn't be snapping at her friends. She shouldn't be cutting herself off from everyone. She had _promised_ herself she wouldn't do this. But nothing felt right—nothing had felt right since the beginning of summer.

Whenever something wasn't right she used to be able to go to Elphaba's arms, and then everything would be okay, because she would be home. But now…now, this stupid empty bed was the closest thing she had to home, and she wasn't planning on leaving it again for the rest of the day.


	5. Chapter 5

It was surprisingly easy to pass unseen into the Emerald City. In fact, the hardest part was the afternoon spent waiting outside for the sky to get dark enough. Elphaba sat, huddled out of sight of any passing travelers or guards, and used every last ounce of self-control to keep herself from continuing north. It would take another day, maybe two, to reach Shiz from here. One day of walking, and she could be back at the closest thing to a home she'd ever had.

Elphaba wrapped her arms around her torso and screwed her eyes shut. Night couldn't come soon enough.

The Emerald City was strange in the dark. It seemed to glow, but eerily so, as if it were absorbing and pulsing light rather than reflecting it. Everything near the walls had a green tint, a fact she immediately resented, and there were no stars. At least not here, around the city's border.

At a main gate, it would be impossible to pass through without a full on inspection from a member of the Gale Force. But Elphaba wasn't aiming for the city's upper districts, and there were dozens of smaller entrances that led into the lower parts.

She adjusted her cloak and tugged the hood down far enough that it hung over her forehead and shadowed her face. A thin pair of gloves covered her fingers, and the scarf that Ama Clutch had made her was pulled up to the bridge of her nose. She was dressed warmly for late summer, but the city was far enough away from Munchkinland's heat that the nights were a little cooler. Besides, no one so much as spared her a glance as she passed beneath a thin archway made of a twisting green metal. The color looked pale and…sickly, almost. She kept walking.

She was reminded immediately of the inn that Dillamond had stayed at when he met her at Shiz. The streets were just as filthy here, the buildings just as run down. But as she moved on through the neighborhood, there was one big difference.

Here, there were no Animals.

Elphaba slowly came to a stop and looked around her. No Animals. Not a single one. Not even here, in the lowest, darkest, dirtiest parts of the city. There were people everywhere, huddled on doorsteps or around trash bins, moving hurriedly through the streets, ducking into alleyways and speaking in hushed voices. There were Munchkins—ones who had, willingly or not, left their farms and homes to live here, like Boq's family workers. There were a few Gillikinese, with clothes that looked as if they were once valuable but were now so torn and covered in filth that they were all but useless. A few of them eyed her dangerously, and she remembered to keep walking.

The houses she passed were more like shacks than anything, shabby and patched up and, judging from the brief glimpses she got through the windows, filled with more people than they could fit. Every face that bothered enough to look up at her was wrinkled and shadowed. Elphaba didn't know what she had expected, but this wasn't it.

Despite it all, the city stretched out before her—unfamiliar and untouchable and far, far too daunting to face. She didn't know what to do. She didn't even know why she was there.

She started to tremble, but not because of magic. Instead of brimming with power, she suddenly felt completely and horribly helpless. Sweat beaded her forehead; her chest and throat tightened. Spots began to dot the edges of her vision, and her breath grew short and shallow.

Her mind raced. She stumbled over to one of the smaller alleyways and fell back against the wall, sinking to the ground. One of her palms pressed against the wall behind her, trying to grab hold of something, anything that would steady her. She brought her knees to her chest and placed her head between them, trying to stop the spinning.

Time passed. She was hidden enough that no one bothered her, and eventually Elphaba regained some control. When she lifted her head again, the city blurred around her. Her eyes felt heavy—no, everything felt heavy. She couldn't fathom even climbing to her feet like this, let alone brushing herself off and continuing through the city.

This was as good a place as any, she supposed. She scooted further into the alley, out of sight, and twisted her fingers into the edges of her cloak, pulling it shut around her like a blanket. Her eyes fell shut and she leaned more heavily against the wall. It flashed briefly through her mind how vulnerable she was, but she was too exhausted to care. Her last thought was of how she had been in the Emerald City—the place she had been moving toward and avoiding for months now—for less than an hour, and already she was falling apart.

That desperate, helpless feeling came again, but she was asleep before it could even fully register.

* * *

Just as she had told Fiyero, Glinda apologized to Boq the next day. He was understanding, of course, but Glinda wasn't as easy on herself.

Something was different in their group. Something that should have been obvious the day Elphaba left, but because she had so thoroughly shut herself away, she was just now feeling the consequences of it.

"She brought us all together," Glinda mumbled. The friends were taking up a bench near the fountain in the main square, and the words weren't meant to be said aloud.

Boq looked up from where he was sitting cross-legged on the concrete. He nodded seriously. "Yeah. Yeah, she did."

Fiyero was sitting on her left side. He brought a knee up to his chest and rested his cheek on it. His gaze was thoughtful. "Is that what you worry about sometimes?" he asked.

Glinda shrugged. On her other side, Crope was playing with Tibbett's hair. He reached over and slipped his free hand beneath hers, squeezing gently.

"I wouldn't worry too much," Tibbett said, tilting his head back so it rested on Crope's knees. "We're much too charming for you to leave behind."

She smiled and squeezed Crope's hand back. "I know it hasn't seemed like it much this summer," she said quietly. "But…"

"We know," Boq said. His eyes were soft when they met hers. She wasn't sure what passed between them, but it was something. She relaxed a little and gave him a tiny smile. "We know."

* * *

"Good afternoon, class."

Glinda barely looked up as Professor Nikidik strolled into the room. She was in the middle of sketching a house into her notebook. It was plain and small and sat nestled into a hill so that grass and wildflowers were able to grow on the roof. There was nothing really fancy about it. Flowerboxes hung under a pair of square windows in the front, and there was just enough space above the doorway to hang a small welcome sign, or maybe a family crest. She wondered what she would put there, if the house were hers. There were a few incantations that could work as a sort of blessing, maybe. And what would be inside the house? It would have to be big enough for two people, of course. There would be a kitchen, and a fire place whose chimney stuck up from the hill, and…

"Perhaps you can tell us, Miss Glinda."

Glinda looked up, but she couldn't even think of what Nikidik had asked. From the look on the professor's face, he had been counting on that fact.

"No, sir, I don't believe I can," she said quietly. There was a flash of triumph in his eyes, and a couple of quiet snickers throughout the room, but she tilted her head down again and ignored it all. The sketch stared up at her from the notebook, cozy and inviting and absolutely ridiculous. She dragged her pen across the drawing, scribbling until it was almost unrecognizable.

When the bell chimed the hour across campus, Glinda took her time packing her things. She kept her head down as her classmates passed by.

"Not so smart without the green bean, are you Glinda?"

She didn't even look up. "You're one to talk, Miss Pfannee. How many finals did you fail last spring?"

"Miss Glinda," Nikidik called from the front of the room, cutting off the conversation. "A word in my office, if you will."

Pfannee huffed and stalked off. Rolling her eyes, Glinda lifted her bag onto her shoulder and made her way to the front of the room.

"I have another class to get to, Professor," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm sure you can be a few minutes late," answered Nikidik. "This is concerning your grade in this class. I believe that's more important than—"

"The year just started," Glinda replied heatedly. "My grade in your class is fine. If you're seriously worried about how I didn't answer your question today, then rest assured the only reason was that I didn't care enough to pay attention to it. However, since I'm pretty sure the real reason you asked to talk to me was just to _mock_ me, I'm going to have to again say that I have another class—Madame Morrible's class, to be exact. So unless you have something important to tell me, I'm leaving."

He could do nothing but glare at her. By the time he managed to string together a few words, she was already walking toward the door. Some small part of her knew that was going to come back to bite her later, but she couldn't really bring herself to care at the moment.

She was able to take advantage of her anger in sorcery class. Morrible all but set the class loose throughout the room, telling them to spend the period practicing endurance and control. To Glinda's surprise, the magic came naturally to her. She made her way around the room practicing various spells—casting flames at a metal target until it glowed red, lifting the heaviest pieces of furniture and setting them back down without dropping them, speeding up the growth of a plant, forming a tiny rain cloud over a small tub of water.

She poured all of her focus into her work, and time passed quickly. When Morrible called out to tell them they were dismissed, Glinda was shaking with fatigue. She felt tired and gross, but her irritation had faded.

The headmistress's eyes were on her as she grabbed her bag, but she slipped into the crowd of students leaving and managed to make it out the door without being stopped.

Glinda's thoughts wandered as she made her way across the campus. Maybe her recent struggles with magic were simply due to a summer without practicing. Maybe it just took her a while to adjust, and now she would be fine. Of course, if this was the case, then Morrible would be even more insistent about her pursuing sorcery.

She slowed her pace as the turn leading to Crage Hall came up. She didn't want to go back to her room. Not just yet. The evening was too nice and her dorm had become too stifling. She walked on, letting her feet carry her wherever they pleased. She kept her head down just out of habit, and it almost took her by surprise when she looked up to see the library in front of her.

"Really?" she mumbled out loud, shaking her head. But she didn't have anything else to do, either, so after staring at the front doors for a long moment, she let out a sigh and went inside.

It was too early in the year for most students to be studying in the library. Most of the chairs and tables were empty, and the bookshelves looked as though they hadn't been touched since last semester. The place smelled of ink and parchment. It made Glinda smile, just a little bit.

She wandered automatically to a back corner of the building until she found a small table with an old armchair that sat beside the window. It was just one of the many places Elphaba had claimed as her own in this building, and Glinda sank gladly into it. She swore she heard the quiet scratching of a pen against paper, smelled a hint of pinewood oil, but when she looked around, she was alone. Swallowing hard, she curled up in the chair and closed her eyes, breathing in the memories that came with this place.

" _It smells like rain," Glinda said, staring out the window. They were trapped in here by the storm, and it didn't seem like they'd be able to leave for a while._

" _I know," Elphaba muttered. "I don't like it."_

 _Glinda shifted in her seat, looking from Elphaba to her paper and back again. "Are you done?"_

 _Elphaba didn't even look up from her books. "No. And I know you're not, either."_

" _I might be."_

" _Glinda."_

 _She rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Elphie. I know you hate this just as much as I do."_

 _Elphaba's eyes flashed, and Glinda immediately regretted her words. Of course Elphaba hated this. The library had once been her favorite place on campus, and now Morrible was practically haunting it._

" _I'm sorry," Glinda said quietly._

" _It's fine."_

" _No, it's not." She thought for a moment, then looked around. "But I can make it up to you."_

" _Oh yeah?"_

 _Glinda stood up and walked around the table to stand behind Elphaba. She wrapped her arms around thin green shoulders and rubbed their cheeks together._

" _Yeah," she breathed, letting her lips linger against Elphaba's jaw. "I think so."_

 _Elphaba shivered and sat upright, untangling herself from the blonde. Glinda had a split second to doubt herself, then Elphaba was grabbing her by the wrist and tugging her away. They ended up pressed against a wall between two shelves, Elphaba's fingers sliding up the inside of Glinda's thighs, and suddenly it didn't smell like rain anymore._

Glinda shivered and curled up even tighter. She kept her eyes closed and let herself relive the memory over and over again. Sometimes it felt as if there were no moments like that. Glinda felt as if she and Elphaba had been robbed of their time together. Whatever life they were supposed to have had been taken away. Maybe it had burned alongside Dillamond's journal. Glinda didn't know. All she knew was that moments like the one in the library were painfully sweet and devastatingly rare.

 _But there are more_ , she thought to herself. She ducked her head into her knees and breathed in. There was the night they had snuck onto one of the rooftops and watched the skyline. Or the afternoons huddled around a jar of pink flames, where she sat happily in Elphaba's embrace. There were dozens of lazy mornings, where they woke up slowly, wrapped in nothing but each other. And there was that golden day they had all spent out by the lake, and that same night when she and Elphaba first…

And there were times long before any of that. There were quiet nights of studying and loud meals of never-ending laughter. There were hours spent curled up beside Elphaba, playing with her hair, sharing her secrets.

She suddenly became aware of the fact that her cheeks were wet. She blinked her eyes open and looked out the window. The sun had disappeared from the horizon, but the sky was still tinged pink.

It blended nicely with the deep green of the trees.

* * *

Elphaba learned quickly how to stay out of sight.

The Emerald City had a way of moving around her. She wasn't the only person with her skin covered and her head low, and blending in turned out to be easier than she thought. On the few occasions that someone ventured too close, she would send them away with the most dangerous glare she could muster.

It reminded her a little of being at Shiz.

Days passed, turning into weeks, and then the weeks passed, too. There was a rhythm here, flowing relentlessly through the city's darkest places. And intimidating as it was, she found herself falling into it.

If she kept to herself, she was left alone. She slept curled up and tucked away—near trash bins or behind abandoned shacks. Most of the time she moved around, though there was one roof that she kept coming back to—a corn exchange, near the edge of the district.

She learned how to read the neighborhood around her. A few of the faces became familiar. She figured out who would give her a knowing look or a quiet nod, and who would give her a half-snarled warning or a raised fist. She discovered the boundaries—where the lower districts ended, where the Gale Force patrolled, which alleys were too dangerous to walk through, even in broad daylight. She even learned where she could get information, whether it was through gold or threats or just by hanging around the right spot at the right time. She preferred the latter, but carefully filed the other options away for reference.

Slowly, she became a part of the area. It was a quiet life, secluded, and she would often go days at a time without saying a word. Her only verbal interactions came from the food venders she would visit once in a while, when she dared to spend money on an actual meal. All the stands were run by Munchkinlanders, and some of them recognized her. She didn't worry too much, though. They were too worn down to care who they served anymore. That much was clear in their dead stares and hoarse exchanges. Besides, confidentiality, she realized, was the silent agreement of those lower districts—the tie that held the entire place together.

And, if she was being entirely honest, she wanted people to know she was there. At least, _some_ people.

She looked for them, and found them almost immediately. It was shocking, how easy they were to track. But at the same time, if she hadn't known what she was looking at, she would have no idea.

It was small stuff—quiet yet blunt, and often covered up quickly enough that the only people who whispered about it were the ones who whispered about everything. A group of people in dark clothes were chased out of a park one night. A Wolf that had been tethered to a post in the market was cut loose.

A woman was kicked out of a bakery in one of the middle class districts. The shopkeeper had forcibly thrown her into the street and spat on her, cursing her and all other "sick Animal lovers." The scene gathered so much attention that the woman ended up fleeing the neighborhood before the surrounding crowd could act on their threats toward her.

When Elphaba heard about this, she was almost certain of what would happen next. She crept through the city one night until she found the bakery. There was no doubt this was the same place. Even in the dark, the damage was unmistakable. Slurs and threats were carved into the door. The entire front wall was nearly destroyed. Parts were burned or carved into. More threats had been painted in a deep crimson that reflected the dim lights of the streetlamps. Through the shattered windows, Elphaba could see that the shelves and shelves of loaves and rolls and pastries had been robbed clean.

She knew she should leave, but something kept her in place. She found a nearby alleyway where she could still see the shop, and she waited.

Morning came, and the baker was enraged when he found the state of his store. He ran into the building, cursing and screaming threats into the air. A crowd had been slowly gathering in the street, and a couple men went inside to grab the shopkeeper and sit him down.

It wasn't long before two hard-faced men in stiff green and gold uniforms came walking down the street. Their boots clipped against the road, echoing in the sudden silence. The Gale Force officers walked through the crowd and straight up to the baker. After a few quiet words, he led them into the shop.

The crowd began to disperse, murmuring to themselves and shaking their heads. Elphaba began to retreat, but before she could disappear into the shadows she paused, the back of her neck prickling. She looked back at the street, trying to find the gaze that she knew was on her.

She saw nothing.

* * *

Elphaba revisited that bakery a few times in the days that followed. The windows and door were quickly repaired, and the front wall was sanded down and repainted. Sometimes she could see the baker through the window, and though he had a constant look of irritation, nothing much seemed to have changed. No one was even talking about the incident—the only time she heard about it was when a pair of older women were passing by, their arms full of shopping bags.

"I wonder who did it?" one asked, glancing at the bakery.

The other woman made a distracted noise. "No one knows. But those officers said they would take care of it. I wouldn't worry too much."

Elphaba had returned to the slums both shocked and oddly pleased. The whispers she heard in the lower district that night were much different. Phrases like _they're getting bolder_ were flying around, and she stayed up later than usual, staring out into the street and letting her thoughts work themselves out.


	6. Chapter 6

Autumn came fast and early to Shiz. One day Glinda was in her thinnest dress with her hair pinned at the top of her head, and the next she was wearing her favorite cozy sweater and crunching through piles of leaves on the way to class.

It was strange, really. This time last year she had been mooning over Fiyero. Dillamond was still at the school. She and Elphaba weren't really hostile anymore, but they weren't friendly, either. They were just starting to get to know each other, figuring out how to live with each other. Now, a year later, Glinda was learning to live without her.

She made little adjustments in her daily life that kept her from cutting the boys off. After nearly failing her first life sciences exam, she took to doing homework with Boq. They would claim a corner of the café, or a table in the library, or if the weather was right, they'd stretch a blanket out near the lake and stay there until sunset. They never talked much, but Glinda found comfort in their quiet productivity.

Saturdays were spent with the entire group. They met around mid-morning with blankets and food and wandered off to find one of their many secluded spots, making sure to go far enough away that no one would bother them. Sometimes there was homework. Always there were stories and jokes. No one tried to make up for the fact that they were missing a friend. Glinda would sit against a tree and say the least out of all of them, but she smiled and laughed and sometimes when she closed her eyes, she looked perfectly content. They would stay together until the sun went down and when they went back at the end of the day, Crope and Tibbett would walk on either side of her, grabbing her hands and swinging them as high as they would go until she was giggling furiously and they nearly had to carry her through the campus.

Saturdays became her best days, but Sundays became her worst. She would sleep too late and eat too little. She always kept her history and sorcery homework for Sunday evenings, simply because she refused to do work for Nikidik or Morrible until she absolutely had to.

Nikidik had become unbearable, and she spent his class with her head down and her cheeks burning. It was all too easy to catch the history professorstriding through Shiz, whistling to himself. His grin always widened when he caught Glinda's eye, and more than once someone had to throw an arm around her shoulder and lead her away. To make matters worse, Pfannee seemed to feed off their professor's hostility. Glinda found herself skipping more and more often and copying notes from a simultaneously exasperated and sympathetic Boq.

When it came to her sorcery homework, Glinda was procrastinating out of both spite and fear. Morrible still hadn't given up on her studying sorcery, and Glinda was doing everything she could to convince the headmistress she wasn't worth the effort. Not that she really had to try—there were very few classes she made it through without messing something up. A year ago, Morrible would have been mocking her in front of everyone else. Now she simply looked on impassively. Or, even stranger, she didn't notice at all.

By the time the leaves had all decayed and the air was cold enough to consistently wear long sleeves, Glinda's magic had become a near constant worry. She began to spend much of the week dreading the time when she would have to do her homework. She avoided the headmistress at all costs, even ignoring her when she called her name after class.

That was how one Sunday afternoon found her pacing in the bathroom, pale and trembling and feeling very much like she was going to be sick. She didn't even know what the assignment was. Every time she tried to read her book, the words blurred and ran together and her head spun until the breath had left her lungs and she had to shove her face into a pillow to keep from screaming.

Being in the bathroom didn't help. The counter was unnervingly free of bottles of oil and she flinched every time she caught her reflection in the mirror. She didn't even stop to grab a pair of shoes. She just shoved her way through her door and kept going until Crage Hall was far behind her.

When she finally got enough of a hold on herself to slow down, she was breathing heavy and prickling with sweat. The concrete was cold beneath her bare feet and it took her a moment to realize where she was.

The water in the Suicide Canal was running uncharacteristically fast, and it seemed almost black in the shadows of the trees around it. Glinda wrapped her arms around herself and started across the bridge.

"What a pleasant surprise."

She couldn't help it. She froze when she heard Avaric's voice. By the time she gathered the courage to move they had surrounded her, trapping her against the railing.

Avaric had grown taller over the summer, and he towered over Glinda when he stepped closer. Pfannee, on the other hand, had grown harsher, and the look in her eyes held no mercy.

"What do you want." It came out as a whisper. Glinda looked down as the group around her laughed. Her classmates looked darker in the fading light. They formed a half circle around her, closing in when she tried to slip past them.

"We haven't seen you in Nikidik's class lately," said Pfannee. She stood at the railing next to Glinda and leaned her head on the blonde's shoulder. "We're just worried about you. That's all."

Glinda kept her eyes on her feet and said nothing. Her toes curled against the ground, and she swore she heard the water start to rush faster.

"So are we allowed to ask about the green bean?" one of the other students said. "I'm curious."

"Me too," another boy chimed in. "Where did she go?"

"Why did she even leave?"

"You know, I've been wondering about that," Pfannee said, leaning closer into the blonde. "Did you two break up? Was that it?"

Glinda started to shake. She could feel the temperature dropping around her. Her eyes stayed down as she struggled to breathe. Pfannee took a step back as the air started to ripple around them, but she said nothing, and no one else seemed to notice.

"Don't be cruel, Pfannee. Everyone knows the vegetable left because of Morrible." Avaric turned to grin at Glinda. "Of course, we all know what happened the last time Morrible kicked someone off campus. The old Goat ended up—"

There was a brief, intrusive image of Elphaba lying pale and motionless on the ground, and Glinda snapped. Blood pounded in her ears, deafening her, though she could still feel the scream tearing from her throat. The bridge shook violently, and wind and water rose to swirl around them. Glinda wasn't spared. The river slapped against her, throwing her down. For a moment there was nothing but water, freezing cold and pitch black. She choked and flailed, panic grabbing hold, but as soon as it had started, it was gone.

The others were scrambling off the bridge, screaming obscenities. Glinda slowly sat up, looking around herself. The water had fallen back into its place in the canal, and the wind had fallen still around her. There was a large, jagged crack in the bridge that hadn't been there before. Glinda stared at it. She didn't have the power to break wood and concrete. She couldn't have…

She knew she should move. She should pick herself up and get to somewhere safe, where she could change out of her soaked and freezing clothes. But instead she turned and crawled over to the edge of the bridge. She pressed herself into the rail, gripping the poles in her hands, and stared down into the water.

She didn't notice when her teeth started to chatter. She didn't notice when the sky turned black.

And she didn't notice the sorcery teacher watching her, even hours later when she finally climbed to her feet and stumbled home.

* * *

It started to get colder in the Emerald City. Elphaba realized that, had she been in a place with trees, they would have probably turned color by now.

She had taken to swiping newspapers from trash bins or the corners of market stalls. The headlines were mostly meaningless—some rich person got married, or a new shoe store had opened near the main square, or a powerful Gilikinese man was in town to meet with the Wizard. It was all happy and forced and it made Elphaba sick, but she wasn't reading for the headlines.

Most days there was nothing, but once in a while there would be a story of an arrest. Someone would be caught stealing bread or selling pinlobble leaves—always some minor offense that would be blown up and glorified. The Gale Force would be commended and those in the higher classes would speak approvingly of the justice that ran throughout their city.

There was never any talk of the Resistance—not even indirectly. The destroyed bakery was never discussed. Freed Animals, if they were mentioned at all, were written into a corner of single-line news stories as something like _Wizard Reimburses Shopkeeper for Stolen Property._

She wondered how many people knew. She wondered how long these little acts of rebellion had been occurring right beneath their noses. She wondered if anyone suspected, but kept quiet because that's just what you seemed to do in this city.

Once in a while there would be an article about Shiz. If it didn't have Morrible's name in it, she would tear it from the paper and tuck it into her bag, and sometimes, if sleep didn't come easy that night, she would reach in and touch the little clippings, letting her mind wander north as her eyes slid shut.

* * *

There was a collection of markets in the shadier parts of the city—cleaner than the slums, yet somehow darker. Elphaba despised them and everyone who worked there, but it was one of the best ways to get information and cheap supplies, so she forced herself to learn her way around.

Her cloak was ragged and torn, and the hood was wearing thin from her constantly tugging it down over her face, and that's how she found herself venturing into one of the black markets early one morning.

Men with sleeked back hair smirked at her and more than once she turned just in time to catch someone reaching for her bag, but she kept her shoulders back and walked on. She looked through racks of cloaks or even just hoods, but they cost more than she was willing to pay and she didn't feel like haggling with the sellers.

The market was starting to wake up around her as the sun rose, and she didn't want to stay much longer. She was just about to turn and leave when something caught her eye. Something black, faded, and oddly pointed.

She stepped closer to the hat and ran her fingers along the brim. It was wide enough to cast a shadow over her face. The fabric was old but still thick and sturdy.

The stall owner saw her looking and scoffed. "You really interested in that old thing, lady?"

Elphaba met his gaze and raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. Her hood and scarf covered her face enough that the man noticed nothing but shadow, and maybe an odd tinge of green, but everything in this city glowed green.

"Whatever," he said, waving his hand. "Three gold pieces if you wanna buy."

For a brief moment, all she could see was the appalled look Glinda would be giving her at this moment. _You finally buy clothes,_ she would say, _And you choose this?!_

Elphaba swallowed hard and handed over the money. She scooped up the hat and walked quickly away, twirling it in her hands so that the black would get rid of the blonde in her vision.

She was almost out of the market when something else caught her eye. She slowed her pace as she passed the stall, her eyes widening as she realized what she was looking at.

A cage, smaller than the hat she had just bought, sat on the corner of a table. Inside was a Rabbit—clearly a Rabbit, by the way it gazed sadly at her. Its head hung low and it didn't even have room to turn around.

Elphaba spared a glance at the owner of the stall—a sharp-faced Gilikinese woman—but she was standing ten feet away, talking to a customer.

"How did you get here?" Elphaba asked. She winced at how hoarse her voice was.

The Rabbit jerked back, but the cage prevented him from moving far. He stared up at her without responding. Elphaba glanced at the seller again before looking back at the Rabbit.

"I'll get you out of there," she whispered. "Is there a key?"

Eyes wide, the Rabbit tilted its head toward the door of the cage. "Just the latch."

Elphaba looked around once more. She leaned forward as if looking at something on the table, and smoothly slid the latch out of place. The Rabbit stayed frozen as the door swung open.

"I…I'm not sure I can…"

Elphaba lay her hand flat on the table, palm up. "I'll take you wherever you need. Come on."

There was one more moment of hesitation, and then the Rabbit hopped forward. She lifted him up and he settled into the crook of her elbow, nestling down until he was nearly out of sight. Elphaba spun around and walked quickly away, but not before swerving toward a food stand and scooping up a head of cabbage as she passed.

She kept walking until the market was far behind them. They eventually stopped in an empty alleyway back in the slums. Elphaba slid down against a wall and the Rabbit crawled from her arms to the ground beside her. She set the cabbage next to him and rubbed her eyes, sighing.

"…Thank you."

She looked down at the Rabbit, who was tearing a chunk off the cabbage.

"How'd you get in there, anyway?"

"There was a trap set up near my home. My siblings tried to get me out, but there wasn't anything they could do, and we couldn't get help in time." The Rabbit shrugged. "It's just what happens these days, I suppose."

Elphaba felt sick. "It's not right."

He looked at her curiously. "My name is Vasper."

"El—" She cut off and bit her lip. Vasper looked at her for a moment, then returned to his food. They sat in silence, listening to the city move around them. Eventually the Rabbit hopped over and settled down near her leg. She could feel him shivering.

"How can I help you get back to your family?" she asked after a while. His nose twitched and it took him a minute to answer.

"There's…a tunnel. A hole in the wall, kind of, that we use to get in and out of the city. If I can get there safely, I'll make it home just fine."

Elphaba nodded. "Do you want to go now, or do you want to rest some more?"

Vasper looked up at her. "Who are you?"

She met his eyes, but quickly glanced away. "No one," she breathed. The Rabbit leaned further into her leg, sharing warmth, and she felt his heartbeat racing.

"We can go now," he said.

Elphaba nodded. She hesitated a moment, then pulled her hood back. Vasper watched curiously as she pulled on the hat she had bought and tugged it low over her eyes. He didn't say a word as she pulled her bag over her shoulder, just hopped back into her arms, nuzzled against her, and led her through the streets.

* * *

Elphaba stayed at the city wall that night, long after Vasper had disappeared through the hole he guided her to. He had talked about convincing his family to move away from the city, and she wished him all the luck in the world.

It was weird, knowing she would never see the Rabbit again. Somewhere out there, running home to his den, was someone who knew her skin color and part of her name and not much else. Yet they'd remember each other for a long time, if not the rest of their lives…though that might not be so long.

The back of her neck prickled. Her head snapped up, but she saw nothing.

She ended up on the roof of the corn exchange that night, stretching out and staring up at the sky that never got quite as dark as she was used to. She thought about all the fleeting encounters she'd ever had. Vasper was only meant to last a few hours. Peric, a few weeks.

Glinda. Glinda had been with her for just a few months, yet it seemed like lifetimes. No, it seemed like seconds.

 _You said they knew about this research, about me. Will I have to go there someday?_

Elphaba closed her eyes and imagined kind eyes and a furry beard.

 _If they're so secret, how do they get new members?_

Dillamond's answer had seemed so simple when she first heard it. Now, it seemed like the exact opposite.

 _You make your intentions known, and they find you._

She thought about the whispers in the streets and the destroyed bakery. She thought about the eyes she had felt on her near the city's wall.

She thought about how she couldn't see the stars here. She thought about the tiny blonde she could never quite stop thinking about.

And finally, she decided it was time.

* * *

For a week, nothing happened.

Elphaba gradually became nocturnal, though really she was getting even less sleep than she did at Shiz. She paid more attention than usual, and it wasn't hard to find the rumors she was looking for. Elphaba Thropp was no stranger to trouble, but it was different to be actively and purposefully pursuing it.

First it was a Dog, bought as a pet by some man who, incidentally, didn't live far from the bakery. Elphaba found her chained to a pole in the ground.

"I won't hurt you," she said, kneeling in front of the Dog.

"Who are you?" The Dog had gleaming eyes and a white patch on her forehead.

"No one," said Elphaba. She reached her hand out and waited. The Dog sniffed her, then gave a low whine and sat down. Elphaba carefully unhooked the leather collar and wished her luck. When the Dog had disappeared from view, Elphaba focused on the collar in her palm, letting it burst into flames before dropping it on the ground.

A couple days later, a young boy was seen talking to a Bird in the streets. The Bird flew away at the first hint of danger, leaving the boy to face a towering Gillikinese man.

"He was friendly!" the boy protested. From the shadows of a nearby building, Elphaba tugged the brim of her hat down and moved forward. She didn't listen to what the man was yelling. The boy backed up against the front of a shop, but before the man could step closer she was there, shoving roughly into his shoulder. Her fingers found the purse at his belt and tugged at the strings.

Coins spilled out across the street. The man cursed and immediately knelt to gather them again, and the little boy used his distraction as an escape. Elphaba ducked her head and kept walking, pocketing the handful of gold she had managed to catch before it hit the ground.

She found and disabled snares that were placed on windowsills and rooftops. She swiped food from the angrier shopkeepers and left it on the doorsteps of the dirty, overflowing shacks where so many of the working Munchkinlanders were forced to live.

Then came the night that she freed a Snake from its cage and, after watching it nod its thanks and disappear into a gap between buildings, felt the familiar prickling of eyes watching her. She turned slowly in a circle and, for the first time, saw something. It was a subtle movement, the shifting of a shadow, but it was enough.

She followed it.

It was unnerving, chasing something she couldn't hear and could barely see. The alleys she was led through turned and narrowed and connected in ways she was sure she would never be able to find on her own. Everything seemed to be moving at twice the usual speed, yet they never seemed to stop.

She knew—she _knew_ —this was just a beginning. Yet it felt like an end. How long had she been travelling? How far had she come since that day last year, when Dillamond had slipped his old, faded journal into her hands? Who was the girl who knelt beside him then, trembling and angry and not at all afraid of what Oz had to throw at her?

She was afraid now. She was terrified. But as they reached a dead end, and the shadow came to a halt somewhere above and in front of her, she stood tall and lifted her gaze toward the figure. For a long moment, there was silence. Then…

"…I wondered when I'd see you here."


	7. Chapter 7

Rumors flew around about the Suicide Canal. Somehow, Glinda's name stayed out of it, but that didn't make her worry any less. She refused to tell the boys about what had happened at the bridge. She was too afraid.

Her magic was getting worse.

She had gone from stumbling over pronunciations and losing concentration to having no talent whatsoever. She lost control of spells as she cast them, and more than once she ended up with a charm exploding in her hands and forcing her to the ground. Or worse, she would manage a spell but couldn't stop it from draining all her energy. She would leave the classroom sore and lightheaded and already dreading when she would have to return.

Her emotions were getting the better of her. She arrived at class stressed and nervous. Her hands would shake and the energy would stutter out of her, ruining every attempt she made. That, or she would drag herself into the sorcery building with tired eyes and slumped shoulders. Those were the days where she felt nothing, and she could only cast nothing.

Madame Morrible was watching her, studying her in a way that Glinda was all too familiar with. But the strange thing was, Morrible never addressed her. She had even stopped calling her name after class. Instead, she just…observed. It was as if she was intrigued, but distantly. Quietly. The only emotion she really showed was an irritatingly smug grin whenever Glinda showed up to class angry.

Because on the days she was angry, she could manage. It was rare that she had the energy for it, but when she was angry, she was brimming with not only power, but also the will and focus to control it. She excelled when angry, completing every challenge she was given long before any of her classmates. Those were the days she would stumble back to Crage Hall after class and immediately collapse in bed.

The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. In the emptiness of her dorm room, she was reminded of the beginning of last year, of biting arguments and bursts of violence. She remembered throwing Elphaba back in a burst of magic—the first time her power had come so easily. There had been a time, just before they became friends and she learned to control the skill, when Glinda feared the source of her magic.

Now she was back to that point. What did it mean if she could only summon magic when she was furious? Was it just because Elphaba was gone, or was it something worse?

No. It had to be because Elphaba left. Glinda had learned balance and control during those quiet afternoons in their dorm room, studying beside Elphaba. The green girl had changed her, brought her out of her social disguise and taught her how to be purely and unapologetically herself. She found steadiness in Elphaba, and it had transferred over to her magic. But now that she was gone, Glinda was losing all control. Every emotion was off balance, she didn't know who or how to be, and it reflected in her magic.

But anger? Anger she knew how to do. And she was so desperate for some semblance of control that, when she came to class with flashing eyes and a seething temper, she didn't even try to calm down.

Anger was quickly slipping into frustration, though, and frustration was out of her control. When her rage turned inward—on the days Nikidik got the better of her and she came to class in a distracted mess of flushed cheeks and burning eyes—she was more dangerous than ever.

"Miss Glinda."

It was the first time she'd heard Morrible call her name in weeks. Glinda stood still as her classmates exited around her, most of them swerving to stay as far away from her as possible.

"I think we have a few things to discuss."

Morrible led her through the sorcery building and back to her office. Glinda sank into the chair she was offered and stared unblinkingly at her knees.

"Would you like some tea?"

Glinda gave no response.

"You know why we're here, don't you?"

She tucked her hands beneath her legs. Morrible sighed.

"Fine. Miss Glinda, this needs to change." The headmistress leaned forward, trying and failing to catch Glinda's gaze. "Your skills have been deteriorating. You've let your emotions get the better of you not just once, but over and over again until you've lost all control. You are nothing near the sorcerer you were last semester, and we can't let this go on."

Glinda set her jaw and stayed silent, waiting for Morrible's taunts, her smug grin, the sideways mention of everything that had happened last semester.

"You are becoming more and more dangerous," she said. "I'm pretty sure you've noticed it yourself. But the more you notice it, the harder it gets. This is a hard semester for you, I know. Outside influences do not help. But if you don't learn to manage yourself, then this will only get worse."

"I don't need your help," Glinda muttered.

"Your fellow sorcery students are beginning to avoid you. Other students on campus are starting to see your weak spots—where they can hit you hardest. Need I remind you of the destruction you caused at the Suicide Canal?"

Glinda jerked and finally looked up at her. Morrible's gaze was firm.

"This isn't a problem you can ignore and hope for the best. It has gone too far, and I'm afraid if you leave it unresolved much longer…well, I don't know what will happen." The headmistress folded her hands over her desk and sat up straighter. "I strongly suggest you put more of your time and focus into sorcery. A little one-on-one time after classes, perhaps. I know, this is the last thing you want. That's understandable. But this doesn't just affect you anymore."

Glinda swallowed but forced her face to stay blank. "You think I'll hurt someone," she whispered.

"With the way things have progressed for you, I believe it is inevitable."

In the split second that followed, Glinda pictured the boys with her at the Suicide Canal, thrown to the ground in her rage. Then, even worse, she imagined Elphaba there with her, the water engulfing and burning her. And in the complete terror that pulsed through her, Glinda didn't even try to argue.

"What do I have to do?"

Morrible nodded. "We'll start with a short session after each class and work from there."

Glinda nodded and slowly got to her feet. "May I go?"

"Yes. But Glinda?" Morrible waited for Glinda to turn and face her again. "I cannot help you privately unless you officially declare your intent to study sorcery."

She shivered, but one look at Morrible told her that she had been, yet again, backed into a corner.

"Fine."

And then she walked away, too tired to storm out.

* * *

"You _what_?"

Glinda traced a finger through the little ring of water left behind by her glass. She couldn't bring herself to look up at Boq. "You heard me."

He sat back in his chair. "I don't believe it."

"What was I supposed to do?" she asked, scowling down at the table. "She didn't exactly give me a choice."

"I thought you wanted to study architecture," Fiyero said quietly.

"I _do_. But if I'm going to continue with sorcery I need the extra help."

"Couldn't you just…you know… _not_ continue with sorcery?" Tibbett asked.

Glinda pressed her lips together. She had thought of that, of course, but something held her back.

"This is what I've wanted ever since I was a little girl," she said. It wasn't really a lie.

"But with _Morrible_?"

"Is there anyone else?"

Boq rubbed his forehead. "Okay, just to be clear on this: you declared a specialty in sorcery, meaning that you'll be working right beneath our evil headmistress—the same woman who murdered Dillamond _and_ threatened you and Elphaba countless times last year—you did all of that so you could…spend _more time_ working privately with her?"

Glinda flinched, tears pricking at her eyes. "You don't understand," she whispered.

"No, I don't," said Boq, his eyes pleading. "Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds? How terrifying? How can you justify this, Glinda? Oz, can you even imagine what Elphaba would say if she was here?"

"Well she's _not_ here!" Glinda snapped. "If she was, none of this would have happened. But she's _not_ , she's _gone_ , and whatever she would have said is irrelevant."

She pushed away from the table and left the café before any of them could so much as call her name.

Outside, the temperature was dropping with the sun, unusually cold for mid-autumn. But then, everything about this year was unusual. Glinda ignored the chill spreading across her skin and hurried for Crage Hall. She slammed the door of her dorm room shut, realizing as she did so that she had left her bag with the boys.

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. She collapsed into Elphaba's bed—it was beyond instinct now; it was the only option—and curled up painfully tight, doing her best to shrink down small enough so that she could simply disappear into the mattress.

The knock came only ten minutes later, and Glinda immediately decided it wasn't worth the effort of moving. But then came a second knock, slightly more urgent, and followed by someone calling her name.

"You're not supposed to _be_ here," she grumbled, mostly to herself, as she climbed out of bed.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Crope said as she opened the door. "May we?"

Glinda stepped aside and let the boys into the room. "What do you want?"

Fiyero silently handed her the bag she'd left, which she tossed onto Elphaba's bed before sitting next to it.

"How mad will you get if we say we're worried about you?" Fiyero's voice was soft. From where he was leaning against the door, Boq shifted his weight and crossed his arms over his chest.

Glinda exhaled. "I can't…I don't…do we have to talk about this now?"

"Glinda." Boq's voice was timid. "You have to admit this is insane. Please, you have to see that."

"Of course I do. But that doesn't change the fact that…" She trailed off, her brow furrowing.

"You said we needed to take care of each other," said Boq.

"I know."

"How can we do that if you're putting yourself in this position?"

Glinda rubbed her forehead. "What I did was necessary. And even if it wasn't, the choice has already been made, and there's no changing it. Okay?"

Neither of them looked at each other. The air thickened, and no one knew what to say next.

In the silence that followed, Fiyero allowed himself to gaze around the room. It hadn't changed much since they were here at the beginning of the summer, though Glinda's desk was messier, and her bed had gathered more dust. The latter seemed to draw his attention, and he turned to raise an eyebrow at her, noticing at the same time how rumpled Elphaba's sheets were.

"Do you always sleep there?"

Glinda just shrugged. She had tried, weeks ago, to sleep in her own bed. She had pulled the fluffy pink comforter around herself and nestled into the softness of her pillows and, for a while, managed to ignore the fact that everything felt wrong.

But it had rained that night, the storm pounding relentlessly against the glass of her window until, with only a couple hours left before her first class, she was forced to retreat across the room to Elphaba's bed.

Boq stared down at his feet. Fiyero had worry written all over his face, but as he opened his mouth—no doubt to tell her how unhealthy this was—Crope gently nudged him.

"Don't," he mouthed. Tibbett moved over to sit by Glinda's feet and reached up to grab her hand.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, staring at his fingers covering hers. For a moment she looked up to meet Boq's eyes, then back down again. "I know I'm crazy."

Of all people, Crope and Tibbett shook their heads.

"No," Crope said. "You're in love."

* * *

Elphaba stared up, finding herself reflected in a bright, beady eye. She pressed her lips together and waited.

Silence rolled over the two of them, hushing the sounds of the Emerald City. There were no street lamps or torches here, and though her eyes had long since adjusted, the darkness seemed to deepen with every second that ticked slowly by. The eye blinked slowly. Elphaba gripped the hem of her cloak and willed her fingers not to tremble.

"I came alone," she said finally. The eye gleamed and she heard a beak click.

"I know."

She tilted her chin up. "You know why I'm here."

"Yes."

"So?"

There was a soft sound, the breathy glide of wings unfurling, and Elphaba lost sight of him for a moment before she felt a presence landing in front of her.

"How much do you trust me?" Peric asked.

"More than anyone else in this city."

His head tilted and a tiny bit of light caught his beak, revealing a smirk. "That's not saying much."

Elphaba said nothing, and Peric clicked his beak again before shifting his wings.

"Follow me."

He took off, moving shadow-like to the corner of the alley, where he disappeared down a narrow path she hadn't noticed before. If it weren't for the fact that she could feel his presence right in front of her, Elphaba would have never been able to keep track of him.

Peric led her deeper into the city. She couldn't see much, but she could almost feel the increase in buildings surrounding her. Everything grew closer together, blocking out even more light. She felt as if the city was pressing in on her, suffocating her, yet she also felt a small sense of security in the maze that Peric took her through.

They went on forever. Elphaba's legs were shaking by the time Peric widened his wings and dropped to the ground in front of her. She watched as he hopped a little and turned to look up at her.

"Do you still trust me?" he asked.

"Wh—"

Something passed over her eyes and she felt the rough scrape of cloth pressed against her face. Adrenaline poured through her, mixing with the hot trickle of magic, and she shoved herself away.

Hands grabbed her, pinning her arms in place and covering her mouth. Her hat fell off, leaving her face exposed, and Elphaba hoped that the sound that came out of her sounded more threatening to them than it did to her. The bag was torn off her shoulder and she kicked out, aiming for anything and everything she could reach. Her foot made contact with something, but all she heard was the sharp clicking of a beak.

"Watch it, Fae! Calm down—stop struggling!"

The cloth tightened around her eyes and she felt someone knotting it against the back of her skull. The hands pinning her in place let go, only to be immediately replaced by a heavy weight and the sharp prick of talons on her shoulder.

"You have to trust me," Peric said quietly.

"What the—"

"Fae. Trust me."

Teeth clenched and body trembling, she nodded. He hopped away from her shoulder, pushing off with enough force to make her stagger back a few steps, and she held still. Hands grabbed her arms again with only slightly less force than last time.

"Put the magic away, greenie," a voice said, giving her a little shove. Elphaba realized her hands were warm and quickly shook them out. The hands nudged her forward and she had no choice but to be pushed further into the city, Peric's presence beside her the only thing keeping her grounded.

* * *

"You could have given me a warning," said Elphaba. Her voice was tight and rough, though whether that was from the adrenaline or just her lack of speaking, she didn't know. They'd been walking for…well, she didn't know that either, really. A long time.

"Technically that would be against the rules." She could have sworn Peric was grinning, and she growled under her breath. The hands on her shoulders tightened, pushing her a little harder than usual.

"We're here," said a voice beside her.

"You may want to duck," Peric said. Elphaba did as she was told, leaning over as she was urged forward.

The ground sloped beneath her feet. The dry scrape of concrete turned to something smoother, slicker, and Elphaba had to put all of her focus into keeping her balance. Chills ran up her spine at how vulnerable she was—blind and stumbling and quite literally in the hands of someone she didn't know. But Peric kept pace with her, occasionally brushing a wing against her thigh, and somehow she kept going.

As they went further down, the air became thicker, filled with moisture, and Elphaba felt it sting against her skin. It wasn't enough to leave a mark, but it was enough to irritate, like the bite of wind on a cold day. After a few more minutes Elphaba became aware of the sounds of water running. She froze, too paralyzed to even register the grip on her arms tighten.

"Keep moving," the voice behind her said, giving her a push, but she couldn't. She felt Peric hop closer, felt something warm rub against her leg.

"It's just the pipes," he said quietly. "It's just running in pipes. I promise."

Two voices whispered something behind her, and she was urged forward again, though somewhat gentler this time.

The group was quiet after that, and Elphaba felt her energy slipping away. They travelled for so long that she began to wonder if their destination was really that difficult to get to, or if they just wanted her to lose her bearings. She shivered, both at the lowering temperature and at the realization that she was hopelessly lost down here.

Finally, though, she felt the tunnel open up into something far larger. The air stopped stinging, and even through the cloth covering her eyes she could see the dim light filling the room.

They weren't alone. A hush fell as she was led forward. She felt more than heard Peric leap into the air and fly off. Whispers darted around, scraping against her ears, but she tilted her chin up and did her best to walk steadily.

A hand squeezed her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. Fingers pulled at the knot at the back of her head, and then the cloth was lifted from her eyes.

The whispers came to a stop, and the place fell silent.

For a moment all she could do was blink. The room was huge—round and tall and filled with people. Torches were set into the rocky walls, filling the place with a flickering orange glow. Without her hat covering her face or the familiar weight of her bag on her shoulder, Elphaba felt more than exposed. But she set her shoulders with a courage she wasn't sure she had and faced forward, where a tall, broad-shouldered man was approaching.

His face was dark and weathered, with bushy eyebrows and more scars than she could keep track of. Behind him, a Cat with creamy white fur hopped down from a table. It stretched, then sat down to stare at her, its head tilted curiously.

"So," said the man. His voice was low and smooth and sent chills down Elphaba's back. "The green girl has finally decided to join us."

Elphaba fought the urge to look away. She longed to search the room for Peric, just to see a familiar face, but she forced herself to hold the man's gaze.

"My name is Elphaba," she said.

"We know. We've heard a lot about you." He may have meant to sound impressed, but the sneer on his face said otherwise. "Tell me, where does a girl from Munchkinland get such fire and drive?"

"It comes with the green, I suppose," she deadpanned.

"Ah yes. The skin." He circled her, studying her fiercely, and she refused to move under his gaze. "An inconvenience, I think. How can you possibly be of use if you're so noticeable?"

"I can hide it," Elphaba replied evenly. "I've done well enough so far. Besides, it's not as if I'll be wandering around in broad daylight. Are you normally seen by your targets?"

He stopped walking and scowled down at her. She heard the clicking of Peric's beak from somewhere in the room, but she couldn't tell if it was amusement or a warning.

"One glimpse of a leg, or even a finger," he growled, "And everyone will know who you are."

"If I'm seen in the dark, they'll think it's simply a trick of the light," she said. "That, or they'll believe that the city itself has come to punish them."

A murmur ran through the room. The man stepped back. "All of this is irrelevant. We have yet to decide what exactly we're going to do with you."

Before Elphaba could respond, the Cat she had seen earlier came forward. "Easy now. You know very well that our young Miss Thropp is of no threat to us."

She set her jaw. "It's just Elphaba."

The Cat's eyes gleamed with curiosity, but he was far less hostile than the man had been. "Elphaba, then…for now. Welcome to our home, however humble it might be."

A little bit of tension left her shoulders. "May I ask where we are?"

"Beneath the city," said the Cat. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you, though."

She tilted her head in acknowledgement. "What happens now?"

"Now," said the man, still glaring at her, "you need to make a decision."

"Why would I be here if I hadn't already decided?" Elphaba asked.

The Cat's tail flicked. "It's important for you to know what exactly you are pledging yourself to," he said.

"We know of your research," the man said. "But what of your loyalties? Your admiration for one professor doesn't make you our ally."

Elphaba bristled at the words. "Dr. Dillamond was one of the greatest minds Oz has ever known. He was my mentor and my friend."

"This place is not for those who seek vengeance."

"I seek justice," Elphaba said. "Do not cast me aside as some naïve, grief-stricken schoolgirl. I've been fighting for this cause for months now. I've lost a lot to Oz's cruelty, and I have a right to try to make it better."

He continued to stare at her, saying nothing, but the crowd was whispering again.

"Let her pledge!" a voice called out, and several others rose in agreement. The man and Cat both lifted their eyes to stare around the room.

"She must be vouched for," the man said.

"I will vouch for her." Elphaba followed the sound of Peric's voice and finally saw him perched in a corner of the room, but his gaze was fixed on the man.

"She will be your responsibility," the man said, staring back.

"I will vouch for her," Peric repeated. A dark look passed over the man's features, but finally he nodded, stepping back.

"Very well," he grumbled. He hardly looked at Elphaba as he added, loud enough for the whole room to hear, "She will stay. For now."

He turned and walked away, but the Cat stepped closer. "You will need a name."

"What?"

"You can't go by your old name anymore. Too many people know it."

"I—"

"Fae."

They both turned toward the corner of the room. Peric jumped from his post and glided down to where they stood. "Her name is Fae."

There was a brief pause as the Cat thought. "Very well. Fae."

Elphaba met Peric's eyes, then looked back at the Cat and nodded. He turned toward Peric. "You can take her from here?"

"Yes."

The Cat blinked slowly. "Good. She will stay in your quarters for now. Take her through every task, every job you have, unless ordered otherwise." He turned toward Elphaba. "Peric won't be able to answer all your questions, but you are free to ask anything. Because he has vouched for you, he is responsible for you. He will show you around and help you get used to the way we do things. Stick with him, and I'm sure you'll be fine. And Fae…" The Cat lowered his head, his eyes growing dark. "My deepest condolences, for what happened to Dr. Dillamond. He was a good Animal, and you did much to help him."

Elphaba's mouth went dry, but she managed to nod. The Cat shared a glance with Peric before turning and walking back to his table.

She turned toward Peric, but he lifted his wings. "Hold on," he said before leaping into the air. He flew back to the corner he had been perched in, picked up something, then glided back down to her.

"I believe you'll be wanting these back."

Elphaba smiled a little as she took her hat and bag from him and put them both on. Peric grinned.

"I like the hat. It suites you."

"What now?" she asked, looking around. The crowd that had been watching her this entire time had now dispersed and was wandering around the room, each person or Animal focused on their own business.

"Now is the time where you drown me in questions, I answer a few of them, and we both hopefully eat something and get some sleep."

"Wh—"

"Fae?"

The name sounded strange, but Elphaba turned and faced whoever was addressing her. A young Bear stood before her, looking vaguely nervous.

"I just wanted to say…well, I've heard of your work, and the things you've done. And I know I speak for a lot of people when I say…well, thank you."

Elphaba nodded, and the Bear quickly dropped to all fours and hurried off. She turned back to Peric, an eyebrow raised, but he shook his head.

"Come on. My quarters are this way." He led her down one of the countless tunnels that branched off the main room. They went up a story, then another, with Peric talking most of the way. "There are stairs in the cavern back there, too. It seems confusing now, but you'll learn your way around fast enough. That was the main hall you were just in, and that's where you'll report back to for just about everything."

"And the second and third floors?"

"Living quarters, mostly," said the Bird.

"Does everyone in the Resistance live here?"

Peric seemed to think about it. "I don't think so. But I think you need a special reason to live somewhere else."

"You don't know?"

"I know what I'm told," he said. "Relatively speaking, it's not a lot. But it's enough for me to do my job, and that's what matters." He gave her a sideways look. "I know it won't be easy, but that's something you'll have to learn here."

"Great."

They reached Peric's quarters—a small, dimly lit room set snugly into the wall. There was a little alcove high up in a corner, filled with small rocks and straw and torn strips of cloth. On another side of the room there was a thick blanket stretched over more straw. A single torch was set into the wall, right next to a rudely crafted chest of drawers, on top of which was a small tray of food.

"Help yourself," Peric said, nodding toward the tray. Elphaba tore apart a loaf of bread and collapsed onto the bed in the corner. Peric hopped over to sit next to her, and for the first time they got a good look at each other.

He seemed steadier, just in the way he carried himself. The chunk missing from the ridge at the top of his head was now accompanied by a pale scar across his right eye and a chip near the point of his beak. But the fluff of feathers around his neck was as white as ever, and his eyes gleamed as he studied her.

"I am happy you're here, Fae."

She just nodded, not really sure if she could agree yet. "That man back there, and the Cat who talked to me. Who were they?"

Peric thought about it. "Names are…complicated, here. The man's pretty important—I'm surprised he even talked to you, actually. But I don't even know his name, fake or otherwise."

"And the Cat?"

"Malky, I think. I've seen him around a few times, though we've never really spoken before.

"How can you live and work with these people, but not know who they are?"

Peric shrugged his wings. "Anonymity is the basis of our operation."

That seemed like all he was going to say, so Elphaba took a bite of bread and tried again. "So where are we, exactly?"

"Underground," he said. "There are a few different tunnel systems beneath the city, and no one really knows where they come from."

"Do you use all of them?"

"Probably. They're useful for getting around. But this is our main hideout, and it's the only one I know my way around."

"Why this one?"

"It's connected to the sewers."

"So _that_ was the running water I heard," Elphaba said.

"Yes. It's a good way to get nearly anywhere in the city without being seen."

Elphaba scowled. "If you say so."

He let out something close to a chuckle. She rolled her eyes.

"What about that Bear back there?" she asked. "And the rest of the crowd. They seemed…"

"Interested in you?"

She glanced at him, then looked down at her lap. "Yeah."

"We heard about you a long time ago, Fae. Ever since Dillamond sent us part of your research, we've been keeping an eye out for you."

"So everyone here knows who I am?"

"They know about the green girl who worked with Dillamond. And Dillamond was—is—highly respected in the Animal community. Especially here."

Elphaba folded her knees and hugged them to her chest. "What do they expect from me?"

"Nothing more or less than everyone else." Peric nipped gently at her braid. "I know it's overwhelming now. But there's a place here for you. You just have to learn to slip into it."

For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, "How much am I leaving behind?"

Her voice was so quiet that Peric wasn't sure if he was meant to hear. He wasn't sure it mattered, anyway. There was no good answer he could offer her.

"Get some sleep," he told her gently. "This will all seem less daunting in the morning."

She closed her eyes as his voice washed over her, letting herself be comforted for the first time since…well, since she was with Glinda. For a moment she felt her cheeks grow hot and her eyes burn, but she swallowed the emotion down before it could surface. She would have been embarrassed, but this was Peric, and Peric had never been one to judge or use her vulnerability.

He unfolded his wings and flew up to the nest in the corner. "Good night, Fae."

Elphaba mumbled something in return and lay down on the blanket, curling up tight. Her last thought was that something was missing—there was too much empty space between her torso and her arm folded in front of her—and then she was asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

 **me: wow everyone's so concerned for Glinda wonder why**  
 ***looks at chapter***  
 **oh yeah that's why.**

* * *

Glinda leaned against her table and watched her classmates file out of the room. She could hear Morrible moving behind her, hear the soft clinking of dishes and the murmur of retreating footsteps, and then the room was still.

"Some tea, Miss Glinda?"

"No, thank you," she said stiffly.

Morrible set down the tray and waved her hand, pulling a chair toward her to sit across the table from Glinda. She took a cup as she sat down and sipped it gingerly. "If this is going to work at all, my dear, you're going to have to trust me."

"I'm not sure that's entirely true, Madame."

The headmistress looked a little intrigued by her response. "Well, we shall see, at least."

Glinda slid down into her chair, rubbing her palms against the skirt of her dress. No matter how many times she told the boys this was the right choice, it couldn't stop the nerves that jittered through her every time she was left alone with Morrible.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked, keeping her eyes down.

"For now, I believe, you and I will just talk."

"I'm doing this for lessons, not therapy," she snapped.

"Your temper suggests a need for the latter," said Morrible, eyes glittering. "But no matter. I will not force you to talk about anything you don't want to."

"Liar," Glinda said under her breath. If Morrible noticed, she didn't respond.

"We don't have much time, so let's get started. Perhaps you can tell me why, in your opinion, you are here. Why are these private sessions necessary?"

Glinda scowled. Her fingers moved to grip the arms of her chair. "You know why."

"I want _your_ opinion, Miss Glinda. Not mine."

She clenched her jaw, but Morrible simply folded her hands across her lap and waited. "I'm here to learn control," Glinda muttered.

"You had control, last semester," said Morrible. "What changed?"

 _Everything._ She swallowed. "I…"

"Sometimes, especially in our younger years, we go through great changes—experiences that alter us. Such alterations can often throw off our sense of self, disrupting our balance. Do you believe this is accurate?"

"I'm not going to talk to you about this," Glinda spat.

Morrible merely stared at her. "Very well," she said eventually. "Moving on. Perhaps we can discuss what happened at the Suicide Canal."

"What's there to discuss?" she asked. "I got angry, and I lost control. You know that."

"What caused it, though?"

Glinda stayed silent, her fingers whitening around the arms of the chair. Morrible leaned forward, her eyes gleaming.

"Come now, Miss Glinda. I can't help you if you refuse to meet me halfway."

"This—" Glinda sucked in a breath. "This is _not_ helping."

"Why did you take my offer?" Morrible's voice was firm. "After so much reluctance, what was the final point in your decision?"

"I told you—"

" _Other_ than control, Miss Glinda. Was it to increase your power, perhaps?"

"No—"

"To be stronger than the classmates who have been tormenting you?"

"How did you—"

"Perhaps it was because of Elphaba herself."

" _Don't_ say her name," Glinda hissed.

"Perhaps it was resentment. She wouldn't have wanted you to do this, but since she's gone now—"

" _Stop_."

"Or maybe it was something else. Maybe it was the opposite."

"This has nothing to do with—"

"Miss Glinda, did you by chance take my offer so you could protect her?"

Glinda clamped her mouth shut, blinking furiously. She shook her head, but triumph was already shining in Morrible's eyes.

"Do you still think you'll see her again?" Morrible asked softly. "Do you still believe there is a future for the two of you?"

Glinda jumped from her seat and thrust her arm out, summoning flames, but nothing happened. Her legs shook beneath her and she stumbled forward into the table between them. Morrible set her tea cup down and stood.

"I am unimpressed, Miss Glinda. Do you not realize what is happening to you? Your emotions have become inseparable from your powers. When you are angry, or frustrated, they are out of control. But when there is no adrenaline—when you are weary or miserable or despairing, there is nothing. Go ahead. Just try to cast a spell against me."

Glinda's head hung low. Her knees hit hard against the stone floor as she slid down.

"That's what I thought," said Morrible. Her shoes clipped against the ground, echoing through the classroom as she walked away. "We are done for today. Good night, Miss Glinda."

* * *

Glinda wasn't sure how she found it. She never even knew where they were when Elphaba led her here months ago, and that was without the tears blurring her vision.

Her mind was torn apart. She hadn't stopped crying since Morrible's classroom, but she moved on autopilot through campus, letting her feet take her where her mind couldn't quite find.

She knew as soon as she reached the classroom that this was the right place. _Follow me_. The voice was more than a memory, but Glinda couldn't let herself dwell on it. She moved to the window and shoved the pane open. The first time she had climbed through, she had been terrified. Now she was too desperate to hesitate, and she all but leaped out onto the roof.

It was uneven beneath her feet, and, too late, Glinda remembered her fear of heights. She stumbled back, but no arms wrapped around her this time to hold her steady. She screwed her eyes shut and let out a whimper. "Elphie…"

 _I've got you, Glinda. Just look._

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Just like the first time she had been here, Shiz was spread out before her. But it seemed dimmer now. The skyline that had dazzled her all those months ago was nothing more than a lit up city.

 _Just for us_ , Elphaba had said.

"Just for us," she whispered. The tears had stopped—or maybe they were still rolling down her cheeks. She didn't know. She couldn't tell. Everything was empty. "Just for us. Elphie, you _liar_."

The skyline had no answer for her. Glinda forgot her fear and moved closer to the edge. She sat down and folded her arms across the retaining wall, resting her forehead and letting the tears fall onto her wrists.

"You lied," she choked. Morrible was right. There was nothing inside of her. "You lied to me."

* * *

The feeling of stiff straw poking through the coarse blanket was unfamiliar, and Elphaba tensed, her body completely alert before her mind was even fully awake.

She opened her eyes slowly as she remembered where she was. Peric was still perched in his corner, his head tucked in close to his body. Elphaba uncurled herself and rolled over to lay on her back. Peric's quarters were just as they had been hours before. The torch still flickered gently from its spot on the wall, casting the only light in the room. Elphaba pulled a strand of hair from her braid and twirled it mindlessly around her finger.

Eventually there was a quiet scraping from the corner, and Peric glided down next to her.

"Sleep okay?"

She gave a short hum in response. "What happens now?"

He stared at her for a long moment, his orange eyes bright. "…Food first. Then we'll get you set up. New gloves, for sure. Boots. Maybe another cloak if we can find it."

Elphaba looked down at her outfit, trying to decide if she should take offense. "Alright," she said finally. "Lead the way."

She paid close attention as they made their way through the underground. The tunnels they went through were dark and cool and often too wet for her to be comfortable, but she found that the place was a lot less complex than it seemed at first sight.

Most of the larger rooms were on the first floor, usually right off the main hall. Peric led her to a dining hall of sorts, rectangular and lined with tables of food—piles of bread and cheese, baskets of fruits and vegetables, and even a wall lined with meats, some cooked and others just, well, dead.

Peric hopped over and snatched up a rabbit carcass. Elphaba wrinkled her nose and grabbed an apple from a basket. It was small and slightly bruised, but it was the first meal in weeks that she hadn't had to pull from trash bins or swipe from a market stall when the seller wasn't looking, so she wasn't about to complain.

They went back to the main hall.

"It's so crowded," Elphaba said, staring around. The room was hushed, as if the cavern walls were absorbing sound, yet there were people everywhere, even more than last night.

"It's the afternoon," Peric answered. "Most people work at night and sleep through the morning. Now everyone's just killing time, so they come here."

"What do they do here?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

"The person. Their job. What they did last night."

"That's…helpful."

Peric shook his head and flew a few steps ahead. He took her to another side room, this one filled with boxes of different clothes. A Monkey was perched at the top of a stack of crates, wearing a black stocking cap with holes for his ears.

"Peric!" he called, grinning at the sight of them. "What can I get for you, my friend? Finally after that pair of socks I suggested?"

"Funny," said Peric. He tilted his head toward Elphaba. "She needs some better gear."

The Monkey bounded down to them. "So _you're_ the green girl. Fascinating. Here, let me get a look at you." He climbed up onto a box next to her and peered at her. "Hmm. Can't have holes anywhere. Got to hide the green. That hat works really well, but maybe a new cloak. New gloves—you'll need them eventually, even if you don't now. And that scarf looks a bit—"

"The scarf stays." Elphaba clutched the present from Ama Clutch in her hands.

"Right, right," the Monkey said, never missing a beat. He leapt to another box and dug through it for a moment before tossing something at her. "Here, try those. Or maybe those. Do you need socks? Of course you do, everyone needs an extra pair of socks. There you are."

Elphaba caught the socks that were thrown at her, giving Peric a look. He had his head tucked into a wing and was busy picking at a feather, but she could still see his grin.

"Hm, cloak with hood or without hood? Without hood, I'd guess, with that hat and that scarf. This one seems sturdy. Try it on, now, make sure it wraps up real comfortably. No, not quite. Sleeves too short. Let's try again."

When they finally found proper clothes, Elphaba traded in her old cloak and gloves. She pulled on the new gear and followed Peric out, trying not to drop the extra boots and socks the Monkey had insisted on giving her.

"You know him?" she asked Peric once they were out of earshot.

"Not really. He just knows everybody. It happens when you're everyone's supply for gear."

They walked back through the main hall, and Elphaba gazed curiously around the room. Most kept their heads down and their hoods up, but she could still see that there was an even mix of humans and Animals. More than once someone nodded to her or Peric as they passed by, but that was the extent of their interactions.

"Think you can find your way back from here?" Peric asked once they had reached the third floor.

Elphaba gazed down the hall. "I think so."

"Good. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"What are you—"

He flew off before she could even finish the question, disappearing through a balcony attached to the main hall. Elphaba stared after him but decided not to question it. After a moment, she turned back down the hall and managed to find Peric's quarters after only two tries.

* * *

"What are we doing?" she asked a few hours later, following Peric up the sloping hallway that she had been led down the night before.

"A job."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Yes, I understood that much."

"How do you feel about petty thievery?"

"Against who?"

He stopped and stared at her. "I don't know. It's not my job to know."

"But—"

Peric clicked his beak and tilted his head to the side, blinking slowly.

"…seriously?" she asked.

"You're just going to have to get used to it."

Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're brooding again," he told her.

"Shut up." Peric let out his peculiar, huffing laugh. Elphaba rolled her eyes again. "Are we leaving now?"

"Soon. It's almost midnight."

She looked around. There was barely any light in the tunnel, and the hideout they had left was lit entirely by torches. "How do you know what time it is?"

He grinned. "See, _now_ you're asking the right questions." Peric turned and moved on up the tunnel without ever giving an actual answer, and Elphaba had no choice but to follow.

They emerged in a part of the city she didn't recognize, not that that really meant anything. Elphaba was immediately grateful for her new cloak and gloves. Wind was screaming through the city, pounding against buildings and shaking loose signs and trash bins.

"What in Oz…?"

Peric shrugged. "The weather is unpredictable here. This isn't the worst it's been. Besides, wind makes for a good sound cover."

She pulled Ama Clutch's scarf higher on her face and tugged her hat down tight. "Where are we going?"

"You saw that bakery a few weeks ago, right?"

"Yeah."

"It's near there. Come on."

They slipped through the city in silence. The wind unnerved Elphaba. She was used to hearing it rustle through tree branches, not beat against stone and metal walls. Above them, the sky glowed eerily, the countless city lights too bright for it to ever truly be dark. She clung to the shadows, following Peric's nearly invisible figure in front of her, and tried to keep some sense of direction.

Not much had changed when they reached the square with the bakery. They snuck through a few more streets before ducking into an alleyway beside a general goods store. The buildings around them blurred and faded in the darkness, and for a brief moment the city seemed more ominous than ever. Peric shifted beside her, brushing a wing against her thigh.

"Ready?"

"We don't even know who this is," she breathed. "How—"

"Whoever owns this place has proven themselves to be an enemy of Animals and supporters across Oz. Whoever it is supports the Wizard and all his cruelty. Maybe we don't get told the details, Fae, but that much is always true."

She looked up at the storefront. "…Okay."

"Ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready."

He nodded. "Okay. It's simple. We get in, take enough stuff to cause financial damage, and get out. Got it?"

"Do you have a plan for getting in?"

"Well…"

She raised an eyebrow and straightened. "Allow me."

They crept into the street, hugging the building as much as they could. Peric stayed behind her, keeping watch, while she placed a hand flat on the door and murmured under her breath. There was a tiny grate of metal sliding against metal, and then the door swung open.

"I knew there was a reason I vouched for you," said Peric.

"Funny," she breathed, pushing through the doorway. "Come on."

Once inside, Elphaba shut the door behind them and leaned against it. She met Peric's gaze and waited, not entirely sure what to do next.

"It's not a science, Fae," he said, chuckling. "You have your bag, right?"

Wordlessly, she tugged the strap of her bag from where it was hidden beneath her cloak.

"Grab something that looks valuable and stuff it in there. If it's something we can use back at the hideout, even better." He flew up to a high shelf and snatched a dagger in his talons before gliding back down to her. She took it from him and slid it into the bag.

She started slow: a well-crafted pair of gloves, a little pendant on a silver chain, a lace handkerchief. Eventually she tried her luck with the strongbox beneath the front counter—she could hear Peric's beak click appreciatively when it clicked open—and was awarded with a handful of small treasures. After sorting through lockets and rings and even a few yellowed, handwritten notes, she snatched up a small gold purse, leaving the rest in the box, and locked it up again.

"Anything good?" Peric asked.

"Family heirlooms, I think. But there's this." She bounced the purse in her palm, smirking.

"Good. That should be enough. But first…"

Elphaba slipped the gold into her bag and watched as he hopped up onto the counter and, in one sharp motion, dug his talons into the wood. She raised an eyebrow.

"The Gale Force doesn't want the public to know we exist, but no one ever said we had to make it easy for them."

She nodded. "Fair enough. Let's go."

Peric flew out of the building with Elphaba following close behind. She paused for a moment at the door, swiping something from a nearby table before closing and locking the door behind her.

"What…?"

She flashed him a grin and held up the watch. "Well, you never actually told me how to tell time underground."

Peric's eyes glinted in the dim light of the streetlamps. "Oh yeah. You're going to do just fine."

* * *

Even after the jittering uncertainty of that first night, it didn't take Elphaba long to get used to her new life.

It was oddly repetitious. Any jobs they were assigned were pulled off in the dead of night. They would return after a few hours, and Peric would fly off to report to whoever he needed to. Sometimes, like on the first night when she was carrying their stolen goods, Elphaba would follow quietly behind him. She was rarely spoken to, but every night she felt a little more welcome.

Peric had told her once, when he came to visit her at Shiz after Dillamond's death, that the Resistance had finally given him a place where he belonged. After a couple of weeks, she thought she understood.

Most of it was the Bird himself. The two became closer than ever, solidifying a bond that had begun nearly a year ago. They were nearly inseparable, and not just because they worked so closely together. It was a quiet routine they had, and it was easy to fall into. Their days were spent mostly in their quarters, with occasional trips to the dining hall or a storage room for gear. Neither one of them slept well or long, but they spent the long hours tucked in their room, usually on Elphaba's makeshift bed, simply talking.

There were some nights that Elphaba would ask question after question, a fact that would both amuse and annoy Peric. But he answered what he could, and eventually her curiosity slowed down. Other nights were spent telling stories. Peric was always looking for details on her escapades at Shiz, and Elphaba was intrigued by his stories of the Resistance.

Of course, they were making their own stories. With every job they pulled, they grew closer, stronger, smarter. It became an art, almost. They could decide who would go in first and who would watch their back, whether Peric was going to swoop down on a guard or if Elphaba would sneak up behind them, when to move and when to retreat—all without saying a single word.

It felt like they were doing everything, yet it felt like they were doing nothing. The jobs were quick, quiet, and didn't seem to exist without the cover of nighttime. But she got them done, and it wasn't long before people began recognizing her more and more in the underground. It was never spoken, but she could feel their approval, their respect, as the weeks went by. She could see it in Peric's eyes, too.

Soon she was able to find her way to their quarters or the dining hall or even in and out of the underground without any problem. Faces slowly became familiar, even if they stayed as just faces. She never learned many names, but there were other things. She learned of jobs throughout the city, like when the circus going through town was raided and nearly burned to the ground. She learned the latest news of politicians across Oz, like the Quadling leader who was abducted from his home and found dead in one of the ruby mines a week later. More than anything, she learned stories, rumors, whispers of the city itself. These never failed to capture her interest, even if she dismissed most of them as entirely absurd.

"I overheard another rumor in the dining hall," she would tell Peric during the quiet hours spent in their quarters, waiting for their next orders. They would laugh at most of them, but some made them pause and think.

"Oh yeah? What was it this time?"

"There was an old Turtle talking about the origins of the city. He said it wasn't always entirely green."

Peric shifted around, the feathers on his chest puffing out. "How can the _Emerald_ City not be green?"

"Parts of it," said Elphaba. "He said parts were actually plated in copper instead of emeralds, since emeralds were so hard to come across."

"Well, then, why is it all green now?"

"Because if left exposed to the environment long enough, copper will eventually erode into a green color."

Peric still looked unconvinced, but Elphaba thought back to the gate she had passed through when first entering the city. Even then, she had thought the color looked just a little out of place.

"I think it fits," she said after a while. "Nothing in this city is what it seems."

* * *

"This is it," Peric said. He was crouched low over the rim of a barrel, his neck stretching to see out into the street.

It wasn't hard to see what he was talking about. Across the road, tucked tightly between two larger buildings, was a tiny, filthy shack. Metal bars peeked out through the windows and Elphaba could smell the dozens of Animals and animals packed inside even from where they stood.

"Why are they even there?" she asked, kneeling next to the barrel Peric was perched on.

"Probably to sell. Poachers and circuses are always looking to buy."

"Poaching? That's illegal."

Peric looked down at her and blinked slowly. She felt her cheeks burn a little as she faced the street again. "Right. Duh. Sorry."

He turned back to the shack, unfolding his wings a little. Elphaba crouched down lower and tensed, waiting.

Peric leapt from the barrel and took to the air. She saw a shadow pass over the shack, but that was it. After a few more moments there was a muffled grunt, the soft _thud_ of a body hitting the ground, and then a sharp click.

She crept out of the alleyway and across the street. After a quick charm to unlock the door, she slipped inside. Peric was standing on the windowsill.

"Took you long enough."

She rolled her eyes. "Was there only one guard?"

"For now."

"W-who…?"

They turned at the new voice. A tiny Owl was staring at them, quivering in a cage that was barely taller than he was.

"Don't worry," Peric said softly. "We're here to get you out."

"Y-you're…are you…with _them_?"

"No," said Elphaba. "We won't hurt you, I promise." She stepped closer to the cage, her hat still pulled low, and pressed her palm against the lock. There was a tiny _click_ , and the door fell open.

The Owl's eyes widened, but he hopped closer to the edge. "Are you going to help everyone else, too?"

Peric nodded. "Yes. But you should get out of here. Quickly."

The young Bird trembled as he stared down at the ground. After a moment of concentration, he jumped out, flapped down hard, and made it out of the shack.

Elphaba didn't stop to watch him go. She quickly made her way around the room, magically unlocking cages and chains until all of their inhabitants were safely out and disappearing into the street.

"Here, Fae, pocket this."

Peric jumped from where he sat near the guard's unconscious body and dropped a small coin purse into her hand. She stared down at the guard.

"Poor guy. He'll be in for it when he wakes up."

Peric clicked his beak, eyes glinting. "Come on."

It had been a longer night, and the furthest parts of the sky were beginning to lighten by the time they slipped into the tunnels that led back to the hideout. Elphaba felt her feet begin to drag as the relative safety allowed exhaustion to slip in. The sting of the moist underground air didn't help either.

"You know, sometimes I wish we were based somewhere that _wasn't_ physically painful to get to."

"Maybe you can request to move," said Peric. "I think you have a good enough reason."

"What would you do?"

"Go with you."

"Really?" Elphaba grinned down at him.

"What? You think you can get rid of me that easily?"

Light flickered ahead of them, and their tunnel opened up into the main cavern. The large white Cat that had spoken to her on that first night was sitting at a table near the entrance. He stood and padded over to them.

"Peric. Fae. I trust your night was successful?"

They nodded, and Elphaba began to pull out the purse they had grabbed from the guard, but the Cat shook his head.

"Keep whatever you got tonight. Consider it a reward for a job well done. Now, I have a message for the two of you."

Elphaba looked sideways at Peric, but he was focused entirely on the Cat. "We're listening."

"I would first like to introduce myself formally to you, Fae, though you obviously remember me. Names are dangerous here, but I see no problem sharing mine with you. I am Malky."

She nodded, unsure why Peric's feathers were puffed or why his neck was tucked in so tightly.

"The two of you have been doing well, and people are beginning to notice. You've been assigned a…well, a very important job. There are details waiting for you in your quarters."

Elphaba waited for Malky to say more, but the Cat was apparently done. With a flick of his tail, he turned and wandered off, slipping surprisingly well into the shadows despite his white fur. She stared after him a moment, then turned toward Peric. But the Bird still wasn't looking at her. His eyes were wide, focused on apparently nothing.

"Um…"

"Our room," he said, unfurling his wings. "Now."

"Peric!"

He flew off without even a glance back, leaving her to hurry through the room and up the stairs to their third floor quarters. She closed the door behind her and glared at him.

"I hate it when you do that."

"Fae…do you even realize what this means?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but something in his eyes stopped her sharp retort. "…What? What is it?"

"It's just…if we're getting noticed…" He hopped a little, his wings almost fluttering with excitement. "There's a letter on your pillow. Let's read it."

She crossed the room and settled onto the bed before unfolding the paper. She read through it quickly, Peric peering over the crook of her elbow. They looked at each other, and Peric's beak split into a grin.

"This is going to be good."


	9. Chapter 9

Madame Morrible circled Glinda, studying her so intently that she could feel her gaze burning into her.

"How are your classes going, Miss Glinda?"

Glinda stared at the gold piece hovering a few inches above her palm. "Good."

"Elaborate, please."

"My grades are good and I'm keeping up with my work."

"Even in Professor Nikidik's course?"

Her fingers flexed a little, and the coin moved higher.

"I saw that, Miss Glinda. Keep it still."

She bit her lip. "My history grade is fine," she said.

"Professor Nikidik tells me that you disrespect him and refuse to pay attention during his class."

Glinda had no response. She focused on keeping the coin steady. Morrible paused for a moment, watching her curiously.

"He also tells me that you've been having trouble with a few of your classmates. Do you have any idea why?"

"No," Glinda said through clenched teeth. The coin began to tremble in the air above her hand.

"Steady, Miss Glinda… Perhaps I can jog your memory. I have heard of a disturbance between you and Miss Pfannee the other day. Beside the fountain in the main square, I believe?"

Glinda couldn't help it. She curled her fingers into a fist, causing the gold piece to shoot up to the ceiling. Behind her, Morrible made a disapproving noise.

"I am disappointed, my dear. You can't even maintain a simple levitation spell anymore."

"You're purposefully trying to get a rise out of me!" Glinda protested.

"Exactly. If you can't control yourself in this environment, how will you fare the next time you find you get angry in real life?"

"I—"

"You _won't_ ," said Morrible. She circled around to face Glinda. "You need to start taking me seriously, Miss Glinda."

"I _have_ been—"

"We are finished for the day." With that, Morrible turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Glinda to screw her eyes shut and take deep breaths in order to settle the energy running through her.

The headmistress wasn't entirely wrong. After nearly a month of these private sessions, Glinda still hadn't improved. But Oz knew it wasn't for lack of trying.

She picked up her bag and hurried out of the sorcery building. Night was beginning to fall across campus, and Glinda had to fold her arms tightly across her chest to keep herself warm. The sky had been dreary all day—all week, even—and she wondered if it was ever actually going to rain or if the clouds were just going to loom eerily over them.

She slowed down as she neared the main square of campus. Crope, Tibbett, and Boq were standing outside the café. They were looking away from her, heads bent together as they discussed something. Glinda's brow furrowed and she stopped walking. They hadn't noticed her yet, but if Crope looked up just a little more…

She ducked her head and turned sharply, disappearing around the other side of the building. Once out of sight, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, wondering why her heart was suddenly pounding. After a minute or two she heard Tibbett's voice, however faint, greeting Fiyero.

Glinda slid to the ground, pulling her bag onto her lap and against her chest. If she waited long enough they would go inside and never know she was there. They'd wonder about her, probably, but it had been nearly two weeks since she last ate with them. In fact, the only time she saw her friends now was in class, or in chance encounters like this one across campus.

She was pushing them away on purpose. She knew she was. But it was only for a little while—at least, that's what she kept telling herself. Just until she could be sure she wouldn't hurt them. Just until the sessions with Morrible started to pay off and she could regain some sort of control.

But the sessions _weren't_ paying off. Glinda pressed a hand to her forehead and breathed out slowly. Maybe Morrible was right, and she wasn't taking this seriously enough. But if that was the case, then what more did she have to do?

She had no answers. Staying away from her friends wasn't helping, either, but she didn't want to risk having them around. If she hurt them—even by accident—how could they ever forgive her? How could she ever forgive herself?

 _Try again next time,_ she told herself. Tomorrow, or her next class, or a week from now—she would keep trying. Even if she was already doing everything she knew how to. Even if Morrible made it the worst experience possible. Even if she was so exhausted she had nothing left to give. She would keep going.

What other choice did she have?

* * *

There were a lot of strange things about a Shiz without Elphaba, but one of the strangest was that Glinda spent much of her time buried in the library.

She wanted to say it felt peaceful, but that wasn't quite right. It just felt… _more_ peaceful. It felt as if the green girl was still there, almost—not in a haunting way, like the way their room felt sometimes. No, it was calmer. As if a piece of Elphaba's soul was still wandering contentedly amongst the bookshelves.

Of course, Elphaba didn't believe in her own soul, and Glinda didn't want to imagine her roommate still here, lest the daydreams start turning into hallucinations. But there was something about the quietness of the old building that made her feel just a little less unsettled.

Unfortunately, it was this new habit that caused her to run in to Boq the afternoon after she hid from him and the others at the café. Run in to, of course, meaning eavesdrop.

She didn't _mean_ to. As soon as she heard the Munchkin's voice, she began shoving her books away and jumping up from her table. But she didn't move quickly enough to make an escape down the hall, so she had to settle for slipping behind a bookshelf and hoping he didn't come close enough to see her.

He didn't. She heard him drop his bag onto a table.

"I don't know what to do, Crope."

Glinda bit back a groan and resisted the urge to bang the back of her head against the closest shelf.

"You can't keep beating yourself up, Boq. This isn't your fault."

"But I promised El—"

"Yeah, we all promised her. But sometimes…" Crope broke off in an uncharacteristic sigh. "Sometimes things change. Even promises."

"What would she say?" Boq asked.

"What?"

There was a small pause. "What would Elphie say? If she could see us now—if she could see what our group has become…I just can't help but feel as though, somehow, we've failed her."

Apparently Crope didn't have an answer. The boys were silent for a long moment before Boq spoke again.

"I just…can't stand seeing Glinda like this."

"I know," Crope said. "None of us can. But this isn't something we can fix. I can't imagine what she's feeling—what she's felt for months now—and neither can you."

"I'm not pretending to," said the Munchkin. "But I still wish there was something we could do…"

"Maybe the only thing we can do is support her, whether she wants us there or not."

"This is terrible," said Boq.

"Love is terrible." There was a smile in Crope's voice as he added, "You'll understand some day."

Boq snorted. "Funny. Speaking of which, where is Tibbett?"

"Probably got lost in the romance section again. Want to go find him?"

"Might as well. We'll never get this project done without him."

Their voices faded away. Glinda shoved away from the bookshelf she was leaning against. She rushed blindly out of the library and across the darkening campus.

 _What would Elphie say? If she could see us now?_

It didn't _matter._ Glinda's thoughts raced viciously through her head. If Elphaba could see them now—if she was here—then there would be no problem. She had brought them together in the first place, and the only reason they fell apart was because she was gone.

The clouds that had been threatening Shiz all week finally broke free, and within seconds Glinda was completely drenched. She stumbled into Crage Hall, cold and shivering and furious. But she was tired of being furious, and she was tired of being tired.

"Elphaba," Glinda said as she closed the door to her room behind her. "Oh, Elphie. Is this what you felt like? Is this why you left?"

The rain beat against her window, blurring the glass and giving her no answer.

* * *

"We're getting close, aren't we?"

Peric tilted his wings, angling down. He landed lightly beside her. "I think so. This is definitely the right district."

All around them, houses rose from the clean, evenly paved streets. They were two, three, sometimes four stories tall, with arching windows and pillars on front porches made of stone or freshly painted wood. She gazed around the neighborhood, wondering what Glinda would say about the design of it all. Elphaba could practically hear her voice, dropping in pitch and speaking faster as she got more excited about rooms and blueprints and the sturdiness of quoxwood versus pine and—

"Fae?"

She blinked heavily and looked down at the Bird. "S-sorry."

Peric's eyes narrowed, but he hopped further down the alley. "Come on. I think we're only a block or two away."

They kept moving, and it took some effort for Elphaba to not stare wide-eyed at the buildings around them. Miles of the Emerald City were filled with filth and criminals and too many workers getting paid too little to afford an actual house, yet here there were people living in mansions, with more food and warmth than some parts of Oz would get in an entire year.

"I think this is it," Peric said eventually, settling on the ground next to her.

She followed his gaze across the road. The house they had arrived at was impressive—three stories tall and made almost entirely of brick. A short stone wall wrapped around the front, and every few dozen feet there was a guard leaning against it.

"Who lives here?" she asked. Peric just shrugged.

"No idea. Malky's letter just said it was someone important."

"Important enough to have…" She trailed off as her eyes narrowed at one of the guards. "Oz. Those are Gale Force members."

"Not all of them," Peric said. "But that is weird. Surely Malky would have warned us…"

"Maybe Malky didn't know."

"Fae, they scoped this place out before sending us. They had to have."

"But maybe the Gale Force wasn't here then. Maybe…I mean, we have a pattern. Maybe the Wizard is…"

The Bird's feathers ruffled and he clicked his beak quietly. "You think he's starting to catch on."

"I don't know."

Peric lowered his head and glared across the street. "We'll tell them when we get back. Right now, it doesn't matter. We need to figure out a way in."

"They'll have a gap," said Elphaba. "Somewhere in the guards there will be a hole we can slip through."

There was. For a few minutes the two stayed crouched and hidden, studying the men along the wall. Eventually Peric nudged her with a wing.

"Over there, the far left corner. He's not paying attention."

She stared at the man. He was shorter than most of the other guards, and probably younger. His head kept tilting back as he stared up at the sky.

"It's not enough," she said quietly as the guard looked down again. "He needs to be more distracted."

They watched him shift around and lean further against the wall. Peric's foot scraped gently against the ground.

"So let's distract him. I'll fly above, just enough to catch his eye. Then you can slip by while he's looking around."

"Without getting caught? They'll see you."

He gazed across the street. "Not if it's dark enough. Can you turn out those lamps?"

She looked up at the flickering lights that dotted the road. If they just went out, the guards would be sure to notice. Unless…

"Give me a second." She eased forward to get a better view and took a deep breath. How many times had she accidentally sent things flying around her? Surely this wouldn't be much different. Her eyes slid shut as she focused on the gentle breeze that was already there. If she could just conduct it, strengthen it, maybe…

Elphaba opened her eyes as she felt the wind pick up. She held it in check, reining in the energy that hummed around her. Peric shifted behind her, tucking his neck in and moving back a step. Above them the lamps flickered and, with a quiet exhale, went out.

She turned toward the Bird. "Good?"

"Perfect."

He pushed off from the ground and melted into the dark sky. Elphaba tugged her hat down low, shifted onto one knee, and focused on the guard, waiting…

A shadow passed overhead. He shifted backward, his entire body turning to follow the movement. Elphaba surged forward and ran, still half-kneeling, across the street. She planted one gloved hand against the wall and vaulted over, cloak flowing around her. There was no noise as she landed on the other side and slipped across the lawn. She stopped at a corner of the house, blending once more into the shadows. Just a few seconds later Peric landed a few feet behind her and hopped closer. At the wall, the guard adjusted his belt and leaned forward again.

She looked down at Peric and nodded. They crept around the house, looking for a back door or servants' entrance.

"Here," he said, coming to a halt. "But Fae—just a reminder. Whoever lives here is in there."

She bit her lip. "Get in, do what we need to, don't wake them up. Easy."

Peric tucked his neck in, shrinking beside her. "Let's go."

Elphaba placed her hand over the doorknob and whispered the spell to unlock it. Just like that, they were inside.

The door opened right next to the kitchen. Peric looked around.

"Imagine how much we could get for these," he said softly, studying the ornate dishes on display.

Elphaba shook her head. "Not good enough," she breathed. "Stolen things can be replaced and forgotten."

Their directions weren't terribly specific, but the point of the mission was clear: they were here to send a message. The Resistance was real, and they meant business.

Peric met her eyes and blinked slowly. Elphaba made her way over to the dishes and reached up gently. She pulled down a plate and studied the hand painted design.

"I wonder…"

She murmured something under her breath. Her fingers ghosted over the dish's surface as she cast the spell, and a trail of color—a dark, filthy green—stained the plate. She grinned and set it down.

Peric leaned in close, his head tilted to the side. She spun the plate between her hands, then moved to replace it on the display shelf. She grabbed another dish and pulled it down to repeat the process.

While she worked, Peric explored the rest of the kitchen. He pulled a milk jar from the ice box and poured it down the drain. He dug his talons into the cupboards and hardwood floor, leaving vicious claw marks. Eventually he left to wander the rest of the first floor.

Elphaba quickly got bored with the dishes and crept into the living room. The furniture had already been torn open in several different places, courtesy of Peric's beak or talons. Her senses stretched through the building, paying attention to Peric wherever he went and straining for any signs of life from the house's residents. Her body moved automatically, drifting over to the tapestry hanging on the wall. It was of a large, golden tree. Dozens of names were sewn into the fabric, from the highest branches to the deepest roots.

She held up her hand, feeling the skin tingle and heat up. Flames sparked to life, darker than usual, and she pressed her palm to the tapestry, dragging it across the tree. She kept tight control over the fire, never letting it completely catch, but it burned enough to blacken the fabric. When she shook out her hand and stepped back, the wall-hanging bore several scorch marks. At first glance, they looked like more claw marks.

Peric appeared beside her and studied her handiwork. She looked down and met his eyes. He nodded a little, and the two moved silently back to the door they had entered through.

* * *

Malky greeted them before they even reached the main cavern. He seemed to come out of the shadows—quite an impressive feat for someone with white fur—and he led them down a side tunnel that she had never even noticed before.

They reached a small, dark room. Malky jumped onto a table in the middle and nodded toward a single wooden chair.

"Sit."

Elphaba obeyed, and Peric landed lightly on the arm of the chair. The door swung shut behind them, and then the tall, dark man who had been there her first night walked around to stand across from them. Peric adjusted his talons, his feathers ruffling.

"Report," said the man.

In hushed voices, they explained their trip to the mansion and all the damage they had caused once inside. They told them about the Gale Force officers patrolling the house, and even the man stopped scowling for a moment to look surprised.

While they talked, Malky stretched and settled down on the table, sitting with his tail curled around himself. The man leaned against the wall and did a good job of looking impassive, if not a bit threatening.

There was silence when they finished. Malky looked back at the man, who nodded slightly and pushed away from the wall. He walked out of the room without a single word. He didn't even look at them.

The Cat's tail flicked. "You have done well. Your efforts, as well as the information you've given us about the Gale Force, will do a lot for us."

"What happens now?" Elphaba asked. One of Malky's ears flicked forward, and she felt Peric look down at her.

"You ask many questions, Fae." There was a definite edge to Malky's voice. "The two of you will have the rest of the week off. Enjoy it, and take pride in your accomplishments, but do not allow yourselves to grow arrogant." With that, he hopped off the table and padded out of the room.

Elphaba glanced up at Peric, but he wasn't looking at her.

"You ask many questions, _Fae_ ," he said sharply, gliding out of the room. She rolled her eyes and followed.

"Am I not supposed to ask what I'm supposed to do next?"

"Oh no, that would be fine," Peric said, slowing down for her to catch up. "But that's not what you're asking. _You're_ asking what's going to happen next, which isn't really any of your business."

"Sorry for being curious," she muttered.

Peric huffed, but his eye was gleaming. He stretched out a wing to smack her, even as he clicked his beak in amusement. "You should be," he said. "I'm going to bed."

Peric leapt into the air and flew off, leaving her to run up two flights of stairs after him. When she found him back at their quarters he was perched up in his nest with his head tucked under his wing.

"I know you don't fall asleep that quickly," she said, kicking off her boots. When he didn't respond, she grabbed a pebble from the ground and threw it up at him.

He continued ignoring her until she threw the fifth rock, and then he soared down, flying into her chest and knocking her to the ground. She put up a fight, but his weight on top of her and the fact that she was shaking with laughter worked against her.

"You win!" she cried out eventually, gasping for air. Peric tugged at the end of her braid, pulling it apart. "Get off me! You win!"

"And don't you forget it," he said, hopping off. He leaned down and bumped his head against her cheek. "Good job tonight, Fae."

"You too, Peric."

He flew back to his nest, and she sighed happily, rolling over to her bed and stretching out across it.

* * *

Elphaba dreamed that night.

Except, the green girl never dreamed. Instead, she turned restlessly on the little straw bed, not quite asleep but certainly not awake. Instead of nightmares, she experienced only a few blurred images and an inescapable feeling of overwhelming dread. She jerked awake, flashes of scorch marks and blonde hair still fading from her vision. Her eyes darted automatically up to Peric in his nest, but the Bird hadn't so much as twitched in his sleep. Breathing out, she forced her curled up body to relax and tried to tell herself that none of it was real.

She tilted her head up to check the watch that lay beside her pillow. It would be just before dawn, the sky paling by the second as it waited for the sunrise. She rolled on to her back and frowned at the torch flickering on the wall.

She needed to sleep. Having almost an entire week off was rare, and she didn't want to waste it being tired and irritated. With another soft sigh she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, counting in and out until her thoughts quieted enough to let her body relax. But just as her eyelids grew heavy and her mind was starting to get lighter, drifting off, she heard it.

"Elphie!"

Elphaba sat up with a gasp. She twisted around, searching the room for the voice. "Glinda?"

"Fae?"

She jumped as Peric flew down and landed gently beside her. "S-sorry," she stammered, "I just…I thought I heard…"

Peric opened his beak, but then shut it again without speaking. Elphaba shook her head.

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep."

"You too, okay?"

"Yeah." But she didn't sleep again. She curled up on her makeshift bed and picked at a piece of straw that poked through the blanket, the sound of Glinda calling her name still echoing around in her head.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Elphaba glanced up from the apple core she was twirling in her fingers. Peric's head was tilted and he blinked slowly at her. Around them, the dining hall was only about half full, making eavesdropping that much easier.

"It was nothing," she sighed. "It just happened once."

"But you're still thinking about it."

She tossed the rest of her apple into the nearest trash bin. "I'm going back to the room."

Peric followed her to their quarters and settled onto her bed before she could.

"I know you didn't sleep last night."

"I said I don't want to talk about it." She nudged him out of the way and slid down into a sitting position, her knees up against her chest.

"It's curious," he said softly. "Because you show up here and don't even mention her. What happened?"

"It's not important."

"Is she—"

" _Peric._ "

He tucked his head into his wing, nipping at a feather. Elphaba resisted the urge to throw her pillow at him.

"It's not important," she said again. Peric stilled beside her, but she wasn't sure if she was talking to him or herself. "She's there, she's safe, and I'm here. There's nothing else to it."

"Do you love her?"

Elphaba suddenly became aware of the fact that Peric knew nothing of her and Glinda's relationship past last winter. She set her chin on her knees and tried not to look at him.

"Does it really matter now?"

Peric lowered his head, and she knew he had his answer.

"You should try to sleep," he said. She didn't move. "I'm going to go hunt outside the city. Will you…do you…?"

"Just go," she said. "I'll be fine."

He nipped at her braid affectionately, then turned and flew out of the room. Elphaba straightened the blanket and curled up with her back pressed against the wall.

* * *

That night was just as restless as the one before. Not an hour after she and Peric went to sleep, Elphaba woke with a cry, squirming and kicking until she was backed into her corner. Her name echoed through the room, and once again she was sure Glinda was nearby. Her voice had been too close, too clear not to be right here…

"Fae."

She turned to see Peric in the doorway. "I'm fine," she said quickly.

"What's happening?" he asked. "You were fine a day ago."

"I don't _know_." She shook her head and took a breath. "It's nothing. It will go away."

He moved across the room and settled down next to her. He leaned his head on her shoulder. "When was the last time you saw her?"

How many months had it been? Elphaba wasn't sure she had the strength to count. "When I left Shiz. Last spring."

"Maybe…" Peric picked his head up to meet her eyes. "Maybe you should go visit her."

Whatever she expected him to say, it wasn't that. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes dropped. "Don't be absurd."

"You're obviously thinking about her. Maybe it's just that you're worried. You could see her, make sure she's alright, tell her—"

"Tell her what?" she said shortly. "That I'm part of some secret organization working against the Wizard? That I'm risking my life every other night to vandalize and steal from random people in the city? You're being ridiculous."

"Fae—"

"Besides, how would I even get to her? What am I supposed to do—fly to Shiz and back in a couple of days? It's impossible."

"Don't you want to see her?"

Elphaba tried to swallow and found that her throat had closed up. "That's irrelevant. It's not going to happen. Just drop it, please."

Silence. Peric stared at her, his eyes dim and guarded, until she had to look away. She wondered what decision he was coming to.

"I think I'm going to hunt again tomorrow," he said slowly. "And I think I'm going to travel a bit farther this time."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're allowed to do that?"

"We're not prisoners here, Fae."

"…You're leaving the city?"

"Just for a day or two. I'll be back before we get our next job."

His gaze was still guarded, but she saw some reassurance in there. "Okay," she said. "Good luck, I guess."

He nudged her cheek and said nothing. She focused on the warmth coming from his body and let her eyes slide shut.

It was going to be a long week.


	10. Chapter 10

Glinda folded her arms across the table and lowered her head to rest against her elbow. Maybe if she stayed low and kept her eyes on the sketch she was working on, no one would notice her in the back of the room.

Of course, Nikidik almost always noticed her. And since today's lecture was on the history of Munchkinland, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that she would be called out sooner or later.

"Miss Glinda? Perhaps you can tell us the answer."

Apparently it was sooner. Reluctantly, Glinda lifted her eyes to the front of the room. She ignored the burn in her cheeks as she asked, "What was the question, exactly?"

"Failing to pay attention again, Miss Glinda?"

"That would be why I asked, Professor."

Nikidik smirked. "The capital of Munchkinland. Can you tell me what it is?"

"I'm afraid not."

He looked smug. "That's what I thought." He turned back to his desk, but Glinda sat up straighter and spoke a little louder.

"I can't answer, Professor Nikidik, because the question itself is wrong."

A rustle ran through the room as students shifted around, paying closer attention. A familiar energy filled the air—not magic, but something else, something that came from every student, something she hadn't felt since a certain green girl was sitting in class next to her.

Nikidik faced her again. "Is that so?" he asked slowly.

She raised her chin. "You asked what the capital of Munchkinland is. Munchkinland has no capital."

"I believe you are making this question harder than it needs to be, Miss Glinda."

"By setting the facts straight?" she snapped. "It has no capital. If you're referring to the Colwen Grounds, then it is important to remember that, while it is home to the ruling family, their power is closer to that of a mayor or governor than that of a monarch or other form of high ruler. Like every other nation in Oz, Munchkinland is still under the rule of the Wizard, and has no capital of its own."

Nikidik scowled, but he didn't bother asking her where she got her information from. He knew. Everyone in the room knew.

"You know," the professor said, glaring across the classroom. "I had _hoped_ that, with the green bean gone, this class would experience a lot less interruption."

Glinda felt her eyes begin to sting. "Be fair now, Professor," she said, snapping her journal shut. "You're the one who asked the question."

He didn't have a response, and she didn't wait for one. She scooped up her books, threw her bag over her shoulder, and left the room, pushing the door open with just a little more force than was necessary.

Glinda slowed down once she got outside. The campus was pale and dreary, with a wind that bent the trees and bit at her face and fingers. She pulled the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands and crossed her arms over her chest. The sidewalk was covered with leaves, and she made a point of kicking through as many as she could, letting the crunch and scrape drown out her thoughts.

She reached the fountain near the center of campus. It was quiet, the pipes long since shut off for the season. Glinda let the bag fall from her shoulder and sat down on the fountain's edge. Maybe if she just stayed here and breathed for a while she would be calm enough for sorcery class with Morrible. She crossed her legs beneath her and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and letting her fingers brush against the brick and concrete she sat on.

The back of her neck prickled. Glinda tensed, her fingers falling still, and twisted around to look behind her. Her forehead scrunched as she listened hard, but the wind covered up any sounds. She stared at the line of trees, but if there was anything hidden in their branches, it was covered up by the last few leaves that had yet to fall.

Slowly, Glinda picked up her bag and moved away from the fountain. She could go to the sorcery building a little early. As terrible as Morrible's classroom was, at least she knew who was watching her there.

* * *

Glinda waited until the last minute to go in. She sat against the wall in the hallway with her bag on her lap and watched her classmates trickle by. They avoided her now, for the most part. Their eyes flickered away from her and they hugged the other wall as they passed. Glinda ignored them, instead frowning down at her hands, but then the bell tower across campus chimed the hour and she was forced to head into the room.

"Good afternoon, class," said Morrible, entering from the opposite side. She gave Glinda a look as the blonde made her way to her table. "We will be continuing our work with alteration and transfiguration, so if everyone could grab their objects from last class. Everyone except you, Miss Glinda."

Glinda slumped in her seat as the others made their way to the cabinets lining one wall. There was a quiet clatter as various mugs or vases were passed around, but it died down as the students returned to their tables and began working. Meanwhile, Madame Morrible approached Glinda and tossed something onto her table.

"Your exercise for the day, Miss Glinda."

It was a bundle of fabric. Glinda reached out and pinched it between two fingers, lifting it slightly. "What's this?"

"A sack of old clothes. Some only need a stitch or two, but others are hardly recognizable. You are to repair them."

Glinda's face burned. "We learned household charms nearly a year ago."

"Then you should have no problem with this." Morrible smirked. "Do make them look nice, too. They're going into a donation bin for Lurlinemas."

Glinda glared at her as she strolled away. She heard a few snickers, but when she looked around the room everyone was focused intently on their work. Sighing, she pulled a blouse out of the bundle and shoved the rest away.

The first time she repaired clothes with magic, she had taught herself. It was the middle of the night, and she had to break into the sorcery building to get the book she needed to fix a dress that had belonged to someone who, at the time, had been nothing more than a hated green bean.

She closed her eyes and imagined it was a year ago. She pretended that the room was empty, that the sky was dark outside, and that the only reason she was doing this was to help someone who needed it.

 _They're going into a donation bin for Lurlinemas,_ Morrible had said. Maybe she didn't have to make up that last part.

Her hands moved automatically, spreading the blouse out before her and picking at holes or tears. She pulled spare thread and fabric from the bundle and bent over the table. It wasn't easy. Sweat beaded at her forehead and the muscles in her neck tensed and ached. She worked slowly, carefully, and more than once she heard Morrible's voice from across the room, causing her to tear or burn whatever she was holding at the moment.

But clothes were something she knew, and once she built a rhythm she managed to drown out most of the rest of the classroom. Her movements became natural, her fingers taking over and letting the energy flow through, and her mind was allowed to wander. She thought of Ama Clutch pulling a needle through her latest sewing project. She thought of the ladies she used to stare at through shop windows, stringing together intricate laces as they swapped Frottica's latest gossip.

She thought of Elphaba stumbling into their room, frock ruined and covered in mud because of Pfannee's latest joke. She would no doubt hear all about it tomorrow in class. Oz, what would the girls think of her if they found out she was _helping_ the vegetable? She frowned at the dress and urged the energy to flow faster. The sooner she got back to Crage Hall, the better.

The bell tolled across campus. Glinda jerked back, blinking hard. A memory. She had been completely lost in the memory of the night she fixed Elphaba's dress. Glinda looked around the room, trying to gather her bearings. Her classmates were packing up as Morrible strode around, inspecting everyone's work.

Glinda looked down at her table. Most of the clothes were repaired and folded neatly in a chair beside her. Directly in front of her was a dress, black and plain like the ones Elphaba used to wear. Her eyes widened, but she quickly shook her head and leaned down to finish the patches in the skirt.

"I'm impressed, Miss Glinda," said Morrible, watching her fold the dress and set it on top of the others. "Meet me in my office, once you've cleaned this space up."

Was that an actual compliment? She shook her head again and watched the last of her classmates trickle out of the room. One girl caught Glinda's eye and gave her a small yet gentle smile as she passed. Glinda ignored her and started packing up her things. She scooped the repaired clothes into her arm and placed them on Morrible's desk, then made her way through the building to the headmistress's office.

"Close the door behind you, please."

Glinda did as she was told and moved to her usual seat across from Morrible. The headmistress twirled a letter between her fingers, but all Glinda could see of it was a fancy seal made out of deep green wax.

"What am I doing today?" she asked after a moment, but Morrible shook her head.

"I just want to talk to you. I have an offer for you, Miss Glinda. Or rather, I have been told to inform you of an offer."

Glinda frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember me telling you," Morrible said slowly, "that Oz is always in need of successful sorcerers?"

"Yes." Glinda shifted in her seat. "But I haven't exactly been _successful_ lately."

"Not exactly, no," Morrible agreed. "But you did well today, indicating that there is still hope. Perhaps you are simply due for a little…adjustment."

"Adjustment?"

"A change in scenery, perhaps. Different people."

Glinda felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up. "What is this offer?" she asked, though she was suddenly sure that she didn't want to know.

Morrible studied her for a long moment. "A sorcery position in the Emerald City. You would train with some of Oz's most talented magic users, myself included, and…you would be working for the Wizard."

That was all she needed to hear.

"No."

"Now my dear, I've brought you here to discuss this calmly."

"No." She jumped up from her seat and began to walk out.

"My dear, this is a decision that requires—"

" _No_ ," she hissed, spinning around to face the headmistress. "If you think for one second that I'm going to take a job working for—"

Morrible rose suddenly to her feet, cutting her off. "You are living in a schoolgirl's daydream. It is time you take a good look at your life and where you are heading. Even after all this time, your loyalties are sorely misplaced."

"Misplaced or not, they're never going to change."

"Do you realize how dangerous that is?" Morrible demanded suddenly. "Elphaba will end up a traitor to Oz with the way she's been going, and any allegiance to her will come back to haunt you sooner than you think."

Glinda closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe. Had this ever been about her sorcery, or was it just another way for the headmistress to control her and Elphaba?

"I don't care. I won't take your offer, Madame Morrible. Not now, not ever."

There would be consequences, she knew. But just the thought of being in that office for another second was unbearable. Glinda turned away again and stormed out, ignoring Morrible's voice calling her name. She turned the corner and, for no reason other than a sudden, absolute need to be out of there _now_ , she ran.

She rushed blindly out of the sorcery building, practically leaping down the front steps. She landed hard and slowed down a little, but she still wasn't looking where she was going when she ran into something warm and solid in front of her.

"Glinda?"

Strong hands steadied her and let go. She looked up to see Fiyero and the rest of the boys, all staring at her.

"Glinda?" Fiyero asked again. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She felt her eyes sting and her shoulders slump. Her bag fell to the ground and she reached out automatically. Fiyero caught her and pulled her into his arms.

"Hey, whoa, it's okay. It's okay, we've got you."

Glinda buried her face in his chest and choked back a cry. She heard Fiyero say something, and then she was being shifted around. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her close as he steered her away. She glanced up just long enough to see Boq grab her bag, then tucked her head back into Fiyero's shoulder.

"You're trembling," he said quietly. "Take a deep breath, okay?"

She inhaled shakily, feeling some of the tension leave her body.

"What happened?" Boq asked, but Glinda shook her head.

"Not here," she choked. The sorcery building wasn't twenty feet behind them. "Please, I can't—"

"This way," she heard Crope say. "No one will be out by the lake. It's too cold."

She let herself be led, numbly, through the campus. She was vaguely aware of the boys moving around her—she could practically feel the looks they were giving her—but no one said a word. Fiyero took them to the docks and gently sat Glinda down. She brought a sleeve to her face and avoided everyone's eyes as they settled down around her.

Boq opened his mouth to say something, but Glinda quickly cut him off.

"It was Morrible."

There was no response. She looked up to see the boys all staring at each other. Almost as one, they turned back to her. She rubbed her face again and brought her knees to her chest.

"She…told me about this offer. She wants…she wants me to take this sorcery position…"

"That doesn't make any sense." Boq leaned forward. "I mean, no offense, but aren't you struggling in her class? Why would she offer you this now, when you're not doing well and you didn't even want to continue studying magic anyway?"

Glinda pressed her lips together. "Because it…it's not about my sorcery."

"What do you mean?" Fiyero asked quietly.

"The position is in the Emerald City. I would be working for the Wizard."

Tibbett choked and started coughing. Crope thumped him on the back.

"Sorry," Tibbett said, gasping for breath. "That was just…unexpected."

"No kidding," said Boq. "Glinda, please tell me—"

"I said no," she said quickly. "Of course I said no."

"Hell and Oz," Fiyero sighed. "How could she—why would she ever think you'd—"

"Because she's still trying to control me," Glinda said, her voice cracking. "Even after all this time, even with Elphie gone, she—"

Fiyero wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him. "Don't worry," he told her. "She can't force you to do it. You said no. It's okay. It's going to be okay."

The blonde clung to him, but offered no response. She had said no to Morrible before, and now look where she was. This wasn't over. It would never be over.

But she couldn't even think of how to tell her friends that, so instead she let herself cry in Fiyero's arms, let the others scoot closer and whisper encouragement, let them believe that if they just kept saying it would be okay then maybe it would be.

* * *

Peric returned to the underground after a few days. He didn't say much about his trip, but Elphaba was slowly learning not to ask too many questions.

Life continued on in the Emerald City.

They went back to their normal jobs with a boosted sense of confidence, working harder and faster and better than ever. Every so often Elphaba would leave during the day to roam the lower districts, and more than once she heard whispers of a giant Bird the color of night and the cloaked figure who accompanied him.

"Green skin!" she heard one day, just around the corner from the market stand she was looking through. She set down the book she had been skimming and wandered out of sight, still straining to hear the voice.

"You're insane," a man answered. "There's no such thing as a person with green skin."

"I swear, I saw it!" cried the first voice. "That's why she keeps herself so covered up—it's 'cause of the skin!"

"Crazy old hag," the man grumbled. "If you're not going to buy anything, go away."

Elphaba pulled her scarf up further and left quickly.

She started sleeping less, a result of the pseudo-nightmares that had worked their way into her daily routine. Though she no longer thrashed or cried out, she would still jerk awake with the echo of Glinda's voice ringing in her ears. Peric urged her to get some help— _try some sleeping potions at least_ , he had said—but she was too stubborn. She could still pull off jobs, so what did it matter? Besides, she wasn't waking him up anymore. If she could roll onto her back and listen to the Bird's peaceful breathing, she was usually able to fall back asleep.

But then there came one day—when she woke with a jolt and quickly blinked away flashes of pale pink flames and striking blue eyes—that Peric wasn't perched in his nest. In fact, he was nowhere in the room at all.

Elphaba grabbed her boots and slipped them on along with her cloak, then headed out of the room. She made her way through the halls and wandered toward one of the balconies that connected to the main cavern.

The place was nearly empty. She glanced at her watch. Of course it was empty: it was mid-morning. Everyone would be fast asleep after returning from jobs. Everyone except, it would seem, her and Peric.

The Bird was in the air, making circles around the room. Elphaba moved to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the rail, watching him. He soared around the ceiling of the cavern, swerving through stalactites that she had never even noticed before with just a slight tilt of his wings. His dark feathers and the speed and agility with which he moved made it nearly impossible to keep track of him. Elphaba sighed.

It took a while for Peric to notice her—or maybe he knew she was there all along but simply wasn't ready to come back to the ground. Eventually, though, he angled himself down and landed gently on the rail beside her.

"What does it feel like?" she asked. He blinked.

"What does what feel like?"

"Flying."

Peric snorted. "Better than I could ever explain. You should try it sometime."

"Right," said Elphaba. "I'll just grow a pair of wings and have at it."

"Isn't there a spell for that?" he asked, shuffling his wings. "Surely you could think of something."

"Attaching wings to yourself would be incredibly dangerous—not to mention painful."

"Something else, then," said Peric. His eyes were gleaming, and she had the sudden feeling that she was being mocked. "There has to be some way."

"Maybe you could create something to fly around on, but infusing objects with magic is hard. Plus you'd have to make the spell reliable, and I have no idea how you could make it so that it lasts more than just a few uses." She shook her head. "It would take an insane amount of power."

"So…you'll try it sometime."

She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide the smirk that tugged at the corner of her mouth.


	11. Chapter 11

Oz burned its way through autumn but lingered on the brink of winter. Everything at Shiz was dead or frozen, yet not a single flake of snow found its way to the campus. The anticipation of it filled the air.

Or maybe it was just in Glinda's head.

Her classes began to pick up as the semester dragged on, and she found herself drowning in her course work more than ever before. To make matters worse, Morrible started assigning her extra homework.

Glinda spent long nights at the library. She didn't really mind. It made it easy to avoid her half-empty room, and as long as she was curled up in a chair and staring blankly out the window, no one bothered her.

Her sessions with Morrible grew longer and longer until she was spending nearly an hour with her after class. The headmistress seemed to be losing patience with her, and the exercises showed it. She had Glinda maintain a steady fire while she asked all sorts of questions about Nikidik or Pfannee or Avaric. She sat Glinda near the window on a particularly stormy day and watched while she sorted various weights without touching them. She taught Glinda how to put up a sort of shield of air around herself, then proceeded to throw blasts of magic at her until she nearly collapsed.

It was exhausting, infuriating, unnerving, and after each session she would stumble out of the sorcery building with a fresh score of burns and bruises. But while Glinda's control weakened, her power seemed to grow. She would reach a point, when the magic bubbled uselessly within her and the headmistress was smirking down at her, when some hidden pool of energy would be tapped and her power would surge. It was happening more and more often, and while Morrible would only mildly scold her for it, Glinda was starting to get worried.

And then came a day, just a couple of weeks after she repaired the bundle of clothes, that Morrible set a metal bucket on the floor and placed a small, torn piece of paper in front of Glinda.

Glinda didn't even bother asking what it was. She just crossed her arms tighter over her chest and waited.

"You recall, I am sure, our lesson on casting dual spells?"

She nodded without looking up. Morrible pushed the paper closer.

"I want you to cast these spells together."

She looked at the sheet, her brow furrowing. "Madame," she said slowly. "These spells are opposites."

"Your point?"

"They contradict each other," said Glinda. "Contradicting spells are—"

"I gave you an assignment, Miss Glinda. I expect you to do it."

"Casting these spells simultaneously would take a great deal of power—"

"Which you have exhibited these past few lessons—"

"But the control they require as well—Madame Morrible, I can't do this. If I mess up, the consequences—"

"My dear, how in Oz do you expect any improvement if you do not challenge yourself?"

"But—"

"I will keep you here all night if I must. Now cast these spells. And aim for the bucket, will you? I don't want you burning my classroom down."

Glinda pressed her lips together, but reached with a shaky hand for the paper. Two spells, fire and ice, were scribbled down. She had never managed to pull off dual casting when they learned it in class a few weeks ago. How could Morrible expect her to do it now?

She swallowed and stood up, taking a few steps back from the headmistress and facing the bucket. Fire would be easy enough, but she had never tried conjuring ice before. And at the same time? Morrible herself had warned them of the dangers of casting opposites. Unless you had absolute control, the spells would fight each other for dominance, consuming your energy faster than you could keep up with.

"I'm waiting, Miss Glinda."

Glinda raised her right hand and opened her palm. A small, pinkish flame burst to life above her skin. She took a deep breath and raised her other hand, focusing on the pool of energy in the center of her palm, where the bones of her fingers started. Her skin tingled and grew colder.

The flames went out.

"Focus," Morrible said.

She clenched her teeth. The fingers on her left hand twitched, so she turned her attention to that. This time a shiver went up her entire arm and the temperature seemed to plummet around her palm. A light appeared above her hand—not pink, but pale blue. The ice released in a blast and she twisted her hand to point it at the bucket. She watched as the magic covered the metal with a thickening layer of ice and frost. Then, taking a deep breath, she brought her right hand back up. She thought of heat prickling at her skin, of ice shooting from her palm. She took another breath.

The flames jumped to life above her hand, and she quickly aimed them at the bucket. Immediately, she felt the two spells surge through her, clashing together somewhere in the middle.

" _Excellent_ ," Morrible said, standing and leaning forward. "Keep it up."

Glinda's arms were trembling. She tried to take a breath but only managed a shallow, choked gasp. Her flames sputtered, but Morrible growled something behind her, so she flexed her fingers and poured more power into the spell.

She could feel the energy leaving her, like blood draining from her face, only all over her body. Her knees shook beneath her, threatening to give out. She sucked in air.

"I can't—"

"You're doing fine," Morrible insisted. "Keep going."

It felt as though the two spells were fighting each other in her chest, doing their best to destroy each other and her with it. Waves of hot and cold flashed through her. Sweat beaded at her forehead while she shivered violently. Spots began to fill the edges of her vision. It suddenly became too much and, not caring what Morrible would say, she jerked both hands back, letting go of the magic flowing through her.

Nothing happened. The spells kept going, stealing her energy. Her head pounded and she clenched her fists, trying to extinguish the flames and the ice.

"I-I can't—I need to stop—"

"So stop." Morrible's voice was venomous. "If you insist on failure."

Glinda opened her mouth to protest, but the rest of her breath left her in a rush. Morrible made a noise of disapproval and turned away, and something in Glinda snapped. She spun around and poured all of her strength into the spells once more, aiming them both at the headmistress.

But Morrible simply raised a hand and deflected the magic. Glinda pushed harder, but whatever energy anger had given her was quickly fading. Her legs finally gave out beneath her, and as she fell to her knees the spells faltered and disappeared.

"You continue to disappoint, Miss Glinda."

Glinda raised herself to glare up at the headmistress. "Those spells—I could've—"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. You are more than capable of such magic. You just lack a good work ethic."

Her fists clenched against the ground. "I'm _trying_ , I just—"

"You are distracted. You are too consumed with outside influences, particularly your missing green—"

"Do _not_ talk about her," Glinda hissed. "Don't even mention her."

Morrible's eyes narrowed. "You are letting your feelings for her control you. Look at yourself. Is she really worth all this suffering?"

"I _said,_ don't talk about her!"

"Fine." Morrible held up a hand. "If that's what you wish. You are dismissed for the day. But I hope you think about what I've been telling you. I hate to see such talent wasted on something this foolish."

The headmistress turned and headed for the door. Glinda waited for her to go, then climbed shakily to her feet. She brushed off her clothes and grabbed her bag.

"It's not foolish," she muttered, glaring at the ground as she started to walk away. "It's _not_."

* * *

"You know, I think maybe you should ask to move."

Elphaba scowled at Peric, even as she pulled out one of her bottles of oil. It had been a rainy week, and the tunnels were seeping with moisture. Her clothes kept out the worst of it, but her skin was still stinging viciously by the time they reached the main cavern.

"I'm serious, Fae."

"Where would I even go?" she asked. She shed her cloak, hat, and gloves, revealing a faded frock with thin straps. She poured oil into her palm and began rubbing it into her left shoulder.

"Where did you live before the underground?"

She snorted. "Whatever filthy alleyway I could find that wasn't too crowded."

Peric clicked his beak. "There wasn't anywhere? An abandoned shack, an old warehouse, something?"

"There was one place." She thought back to the weeks spent in the slums, sleeping behind trash bins or shacks or, if she could manage, rooftops. "It was an old corn exchange, pretty far from the main part of the slums. I've never been inside, but I slept outside it a few times—mostly on the roof."

"It's empty?"

"I never saw anyone going in or out."

"We should check it out."

She shifted around to tug off her boots and socks. She poured more oil into her palm and started on a particularly bad spot near her ankle.

"I don't know," she said. "You really think they'd let us move?"

Peric stared at her as she worked. "I think it would be cruel not to."

* * *

The rain stayed steady in the city, and nearly a week passed before they could venture out to go looking for the corn exchange. But eventually they did, on a night where they had no jobs, and Elphaba was shocked at how easily she could still find her way through the worst parts of the Emerald City.

"I always forget how gross this city can be," Peric said, lifting a wing with something close to disdain. Elphaba smirked.

"Come on, I think it's this way."

She led him down a side street. The buildings around them began to spread out, becoming less crowded and more abandoned, until they were wandering through a neighborhood of empty, run-down warehouses. Elphaba slowed her pace and pointed at a building ahead of them.

"There."

Peric pushed off the ground and flew forward. She watched him do a circle over the building, then land lightly on a windowsill and peer in through where the glass had shattered and fallen out. He twisted to look at her as she approached.

"I don't see anyone."

"You think it's completely abandoned?"

His eye gleamed in the darkness. "Only one way to find out."

Elphaba nodded and stepped back as he swooped down to her. They crept toward the door together, and she pressed a hand to the lock. Their eyes met for a moment, then she looked down and focused on the door.

"There's no lock," she said after a moment.

"Seriously?"

"I can't find anything. But it's not opening, either." Her brow furrowed.

"Is it barred?"

She pushed against the door. "Maybe."

"Blast it open."

"I can't just go around blasting things open, Peric. Someone would hear."

"Do it quietly."

She gave him a look. He clicked his beak and unfurled his wings. "Fine. I'll go see if there's a window or something big enough for me to get through."

Elphaba slumped against the door and slid down. It was quiet in this part of the slums. She could hear nothing but the sad, quiet whistling of the breeze, and the occasional shudder of the building as Peric moved around.

And footsteps.

Her head snapped up. She narrowed her eyes and stared down the street. It was too dark to see, but the sharp clip of boots against concrete was getting closer.

"Hey, Peric?" she called softly. No response. "Someone's coming."

She felt more than saw the Bird fly back around the building. He landed soundlessly next to her and followed her gaze toward the road.

"Soldiers," he whispered.

"Gale Force?"

"I don't think so. Just soldiers. But we need to go."

She got to her feet and followed him around the back of the building. They hurried back the way they came, being careful to stay out of sight of the main road.

"How many?" she asked under her breath.

"I only saw two. But if they're wandering this far out it's probably because they're doing sweeps."

"So there's more nearby."

"They'll be all over the place by now."

She bit back a curse and ducked lower. The sounds of marching footsteps were beginning to echo through the streets. She caught glimpses of people hurrying indoors or shrinking further into the shadows.

They stopped in a smaller alley and crouched down.

"You think we can wait it out?" she asked.

Peric didn't answer. He shifted his weight, scratching at the ground beneath him. Elphaba glanced out into the street, then back at him.

"You should leave," she said, voice low. "If they see you out here—"

"They'll arrest me, I know." His neck was curled in close to his body and the feathers in his wings twitched and rippled. She had never seen him look so anxious—not that she could blame him. There was a reason no Animals were ever seen in the streets.

"So go," she said. "Fly off. I can catch up later."

He shook his head. "They'd see me."

"Maybe. But even if they did you could get away."

"And raise all the alarms so they shut down the entire district? No way."

She looked back out into the road. "Alright fine. Got any better ideas?"

"Yes. We sneak out of here and get back to the underground."

"They could follow us."

Peric clicked his beak, agitated. "Well let's at least get out of here, okay?"

"Okay, okay." She leaned back against the wall and thought.

He shuffled his wings. "Most of these alleys are connected, right? We should be able to stick to them and keep away from the road."

"And if the soldiers are searching the alleys, too?"

"We'll deal with that when we have to. Let's go."

Elphaba climbed to her feet and followed him further away from the road. Peric flapped his wings in short, frantic bursts, but he stayed on the ground, allowing her to stay close. The sound of footsteps faded just a little as they went, but they could hear shouting from a few blocks away.

They moved faster.

Peric led the way deeper into the city, away from the worst part of the slums. They started seeing fewer guards, but the neighborhood was still empty. Windows were shut tight, the curtains drawn. Even the streetlamps seemed to be dimmer than usual.

Peric stopped short and hopped back, leaning into her. Elphaba peered in front of them, straining to see what Peric apparently saw.

"Hey!"

Too late, she noticed the trio of soldiers standing near the entrance of the alley. She jerked back, pulling her hat down.

"Let's move!" she hissed. They retreated back the way they came, listening to the men shouting behind them.

Peric jumped and swerved sideways, gliding through a window in the building beside them. Elphaba leapt up, barely managing to grab the sill and clamber through after him. Someone called out, not too far away.

"There! Through that window!"

"You in there! Come out or we'll bust down the door."

"This way." Peric appeared beside her, tugging at her cloak to get her to move. She stumbled back as something hit the door. It shuddered but held, and Peric tugged harder. "Hurry!"

They moved further into the room, weaving through giant crates and tall, empty shelves. Elphaba kept looking over her shoulder, flinching every time the soldiers rammed against the door.

"It won't hold," she breathed.

"There's got to be a back way out," said Peric. "A side door, another window…something."

But as they looked around, it became painfully obvious that they had trapped themselves in an old warehouse, and the only way out was in plain sight of the soldiers. The building groaned around them, and from the front door they heard the men cry out as they rushed inside. Elphaba and Peric ducked behind a stack of crates, doing their best to blend in with the shadows.

"Fly," she breathed.

"What?"

She peered through the warehouse. The soldiers were still out of sight.

"Fly out of here."

"And leave you stranded here?" Peric hissed. "Not a chance."

"I'll make it out. If they see you they'll arrest you on sight—or worse."

"Fae, you're _green_. The Wizard knows who you are. You're no better off than I am."

"See anything?" a soldier called.

"Nothing over here but some cleaning supplies."

Elphaba clenched her teeth. "Will you just go? I'll be fine."

" _No_."

"Over there!"

They both winced and shrank back against the crates. Peric brought his wings in tight and looked around.

"Can't you use your magic?" he asked. "Blast a way out of here!"

"These walls are concrete," she hissed. "I can't just—"

The sound of a gunshot cut her off.

"That's a warning," one of the soldiers called. "Show yourselves now, or next time I won't be aiming for the air."

"Fae, look at me. You have to try."

She screwed her eyes shut and tried to focus, but the magic wouldn't come. Panic flooded through her instead, and she was unwillingly reminded of the night with Dillamond at the inn, of being trapped with Glinda in the cellar beneath the library.

"Fly out," she told Peric, choking on the words. " _Please_ , get out of here."

He shook his head and moved closer. His head nudged against her shoulder, warm and oddly steady. She looked up again, focusing on the wall behind them and taking a shaky breath.

Nothing happened.

"What was that?" one of the soldiers said. "Over there, something moved."

A pair of footsteps crossed the room, away from them. Elphaba's shoulders slumped.

"I can't," she breathed. "I don't know how—I can't—"

Something poked at her leg and she jumped, scrambling back. Peric nearly squawked beside her, staring wide-eyed at…

"What in Oz?"

Elphaba stared at it. It was a broom—an old, dusty, _flying_ broom.

"No way…"

"Did you hear that? Over there, check those crates."

She crawled forward and wrapped a hand around the handle of the broom. She looked at Peric.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded and pulled the broom closer. Peric stared at her for a moment longer, then turned and leapt into the air.

"There!" the soldiers cried.

"What is it?"

"An Animal! Shoot it!"

Gunshots rang out, but Peric just laughed. Elphaba swung a leg over the broom. It seemed to hum with energy beneath her.

"Oz, I hope this works," she mumbled. She planted her feet and pushed off the ground.

The broom sailed into the air, and for a moment Elphaba was convinced she had left all her insides on the ground. She was vaguely aware of more shouting beneath her, followed by gunshots, but the broom had a mind of its own. It swerved to the side, Elphaba holding on for dear life, and avoided the danger.

Peric flew up beside her, cursing in amazement. "How did you—"

Another shot echoed through the room and he turned sharply. She glared down at the soldiers.

"I wonder…"

Tightening her grip, she pushed the broom down. It obeyed, tilting smoothly into a dive. The men raised their guns, but then cried out and leapt to the side as she flew at them. She pulled up sharply and soared back into the air, letting out a wild cackle. Now she understood what Peric couldn't explain. Flying was…was…

"Hey Fae!" Peric called. "If you're done messing around, I'd like to get out of here!"

She grinned and turned toward him. He swooped low and flew out the front doors with Elphaba following close behind.

They landed a few blocks away from the warehouse. Elphaba hit the ground hard and rolled quite ungracefully across the alley. Peric settled gently beside her, biting back laughter.

"Shut up," she muttered, climbing to her hands and knees. "Ow."

"What _happened_ back there?" he asked. He hopped closer to the broom, but it bucked away and flew to hover behind Elphaba.

"I…don't know." She sat up and placed a hand on the wooden handle. "I panicked. I didn't think I did anything…"

Peric cocked his head and stared at the broom. "I thought you said you couldn't enchant an object to fly."

"I did." She slumped back against the wall. "You think it's safe to go home?"

He looked out into the street. "Yeah," he said. "Let's go home."

* * *

Despite all the trouble they encountered at the corn exchange, Elphaba and Peric quickly got permission to leave the underground. Less than a week later, she was packing up the few belongings they had in their quarters. She paused for a moment, her mother's green bottle in her hand, and thought about the last time she had done this.

"Fae?"

She jumped a little. "S-sorry. I'm coming."

Peric moved into the room, staring curiously at the bottle. She wrapped her fingers around it, the green of her skin blending oddly with the slight glow of the glass.

"What is that?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, tucking the bottle into her bag. "It was my mother's—the only thing I have left of her. I've just kept it ever since."

"I've never seen it before."

She shrugged. "I…usually keep it hidden." _Except for when little blondes mess with my stuff._ She swallowed hard. "Anyway. You ready to go?"

She felt his stare on her, but avoided it by busying herself with her bag.

"Yeah, sure," said Peric. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

They crept through the city. Elphaba kept her bag tucked under her cloak and the broom slung across her shoulder.

She was learning quickly how to control the thing, and Oz was it addicting. In the past few days alone she had spent hours doing laps around the main cavern in the underground. Sometimes Peric would fly ahead of her, leading her through dives and loops. The broom responded to even the most subtle commands—a slight adjustment of her weight, a gentle pull to one side or the other. She was even getting better at landing, though she had a score of scrapes and bruises that said otherwise.

They reached the corn exchange without any incident. Elphaba hopped onto her broom and followed Peric around the back of the building and through a window.

One look inside was enough to see that the place had been completely abandoned, possibly for years. There was a visible layer of dust coating everything—including the ground. Elphaba slid off her broom, her feet hitting the floor harder than she intended, and she still made no noise. She looked over at Peric, who was sending dirt clouds into the air with every flutter of his wings.

"It's a good thing you've got a broom," he said. She rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she said. "Let's explore."

It was larger than it seemed on the outside. There were two stories, but the only staircase was half-destroyed and she wasn't sure if she trusted the second floor not to collapse beneath her feet. Peric flew up there to check it out while she wandered around the ground floor. Crates and shelves were scattered throughout the room. Spare boards—some rotting, some still intact, leaned against the walls. There were two doors—the front one, and a double door on the wall furthest from the street. Both were boarded up, but several windows stood open, their broken panes rattling in the wind.

Peric glided down from the second floor and landed beside her.

"Anything good?" she asked.

"It looks the same as down here. Boxes, boards…there's an elephant skull hanging from a rafter."

"Really?" She looked up at the second story.

"Yeah. But it's old. Whoever put it there has been gone a long time."

"I wonder who they were."

"I wonder why they did it."

Elphaba shrugged. "Well, elephants are said to have a lot of innate magical ability. Maybe whoever put it there was a sorcerer or an alchemist or something."

Peric looked up at the second floor, then back at her, his gaze curious. "I guess we're in the right place, then."

She tightened her grip on the broom, smiling a little. "I think we are."


	12. Chapter 12

Glinda had hit a wall.

Every session with Morrible lasted an hour, and while the headmistress had backed off a little after the day with the fire and ice spells, the time spent in her classroom or her office wasn't getting any better.

After she told them about Morrible's job offer, Glinda had stopped hiding from the boys. She walked with them around campus and sometimes they even convinced her to join them for meals, but she always ate little and said less. It wasn't even intentional. She was just…numb.

The only time she didn't feel like this anymore was when she was angry. But Morrible seemed to be biding her time, Nikidik had mostly backed off so he could focus on his curriculum, and Pfannee and her gang had started to avoid Glinda.

It felt like the beginning of the summer again, and if she forced herself to think about it, Glinda was terrified. So, naturally, she didn't think about it.

Then came one evening, when she was startled out of her misery by the rattling of her window.

Glinda rolled over, turning away from the window, and pulled the thin blanket tighter around her shoulders. It was getting too cold to only use Elphaba's old sheets, but she couldn't bring herself to drag her own blanket over to the bed.

The window rattled again, sharply. Glinda scowled and pushed herself up just in time to see a small rock hit the glass, making it sound for the third time. She wrapped Elphaba's blanket around her shoulders and crossed the room, opening the window and leaning out.

"There's a door, you know," she called down. Crope and Tibbett grinned up at her.

"You were a lot sweeter the last time we did this," Crope chided. She tried to glare, but something in his tone made it impossible.

"What do you want? And why are you throwing rocks at my window?"

"To get your attention, of course," said Tibbett, winking up at her. "Morrible was wandering around the front, so we had to get creative."

Glinda swallowed. Was Morrible patrolling the dorm now?

"Anyway," said Crope, drawing her attention back down to them. "We are here to request—"

"Demand—" Tibbett interrupted.

"— _firmly_ request," Crope continued, elbowing him, "that you join us this weekend."

Glinda leaned her elbow on the windowsill and rested her chin in her hand. "Join you where?" she asked.

"Wherever you would like," Tibbett said. "Off campus, of course."

"Boq and Fiyero?"

"Will be joining us, and look forward to your presence."

Glinda bit her lip. "Do I have a choice?"

Both boys turned serious. Tibbett scratched the back of his neck and stared up at her. "Of course," he said. "We're not going to force you to do anything."

"Whatever your answer is, we respect it." Crope tossed the pebble he was holding behind him. "We just wanted to give you a chance to get away for a while."

A day away from campus, away from her half-empty room…away from Morrible. Slowly, Glinda nodded.

"Saturday?" she asked. The boys beamed, and their expressions alone almost made it worth it.

* * *

"No offense, Boq, but this all looks…really boring."

They were in the bookshop again. Boq scowled at Fiyero and turned back to the shelf he was studying.

Crope came around the corner and leaned on Fiyero's shoulder, studying the row of books in front of them. "What do you mean? You don't think… _Agricultural Finances and Productivity_ is entertaining?" Both boys made a face, and Boq just glared harder.

Tibbett pulled a book down. "Yeah, this is pretty terrible. Why are you interested in this stuff?"

"I'm _not_ ," Boq grumbled. "But if my parents' farm doesn't start doing better, I'm going to have to go back to Munchkinland and help them."

Glinda froze. "You mean, you might have to leave Shiz? It's that bad?"

Boq didn't answer. She looked around at the others, who looked suspiciously unsurprised. "You…you all knew about this?"

"You would too, if you were ever around," Boq muttered.

"Easy," warned Fiyero. Glinda slumped against a shelf.

"Why do you need books on farming?" she asked softly.

"We're losing workers. The Wizard is raising taxes and screwing with import rates. Even if I come home, it's not going to help anything."

Glinda stepped forward and read some of the titles. "So you're researching."

"If we can find ways to be more efficient, maybe do something different with the bookkeeping…I don't know. There has to be _something_ I can do." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "But for some absurd reason, almost every available book on farming is written by a Gillikinese person."

Fiyero frowned. "There aren't any Munchkin authors?"

"Of course not," said Boq.

"The bans," Glinda said quietly. "They're being taken off shelves, aren't they?"

"And probably being burned." Boq leaned forward so his head was resting against the shelf. "So I can't learn anything, which means I won't be able to help my family, which means I'll be leaving Shiz for nothing."

Glinda's brow furrowed. She watched him for a moment, thinking, then turned and walked out of the aisle. She returned a minute later and held out a thick, dusty to Boq.

"It's not a Munchkin author," she said. "And, I don't know, it might be outdated. But this guy is huge in architecture. He spent years researching all kinds of buildings and structures throughout Oz. This volume's on Munchkinland."

Boq stared down at the book, then took it and flipped through the yellowed pages. Glinda rubbed the back of her neck and shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"He spends at least a few chapters talking about different farming structures, how they've evolved over time, how they compare to each other and to other agricultural bases across…Oz…" She trailed off as Boq looked up at her. "I…don't know how much it'll actually help. But at least it's a fairly unbiased study…"

He shook his head, staring wide-eyed at her. "I don't know how much it'll help, either. But this is way better than anything I've found so far. Glinda, this is incredible. This is…" He flipped it over and looked at the tag sticking out between the pages. "…way beyond what I can afford."

Glinda snatched the book from his hands and started toward the front desk. Boq hurried after her.

"No. No way," he said. "Don't you dare buy that, Glinda. Don't waste your money on me."

"If it's for you, then it's not a waste of money," she said.

"Glinda, I mean it."

"So do I." She stopped and met his eyes. "Look, you were right. I haven't been around. You guys have been trying for months to take care of me, and I didn't even care enough to know you were dealing with this. I…I know this doesn't even begin to make up for that, but if I can help in any way, I want to."

Boq hesitated, and she took it as an opportunity to step away and head up to the counter to pay for the book. After a moment, he followed her. They left the store and went out to the street, where Glinda turned back to Boq. Their fingers brushed as she handed the book back to him. He paused, looking down at their hands.

"It's weird, isn't it?" he said quietly. "A year ago, I could barely string a sentence together around you. And now…"

"And now we're falling apart again," she whispered.

"No. Not falling apart." Boq grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Just…adjusting."

Glinda swallowed. Adjusting. "When Elphie and I first became friends, and then again when we were…realizing our feelings, I guess…we had to adjust. But I don't want to adjust again. Not if it's to a life without her."

Boq just looked thoughtful. "The two of you are meant to be together," he said. "All of us know it. Maybe it's not meant to be easy, but it is meant to be."

"For how long?" she asked. "Maybe we had our time. Maybe it's over for us."

"If I know anything about Elphaba Thropp, it's that nothing is ever over for her."

Glinda gave a tiny smile. "That's true. I…I guess you're right."

"Of course he is!" They looked up to see Crope leading the other two out of the store. "What is Boq right about?"

"That I've been an idiot," Glinda said.

Tibbett wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry," he said, "At least you're an adorable idiot."

Glinda giggled. "Oz, I missed you guys."

"Believe us, Miss Glinda. The feeling is mutual."

* * *

Something changed after that weekend. It was small, but it was there.

The boys did their best not to notice, and Glinda didn't dare hope that it would last, but things _did_ start to get better.

They were manageable, at least. She started eating meals with them again— _actually_ eating and joining in the conversation, instead of just sitting there. She laughed at their jokes and listened to their stories and even told her own once in a while. It was a lovely distraction, and after particularly bad days, she found that griping about Morrible was a wonderful way to relieve stress.

She started studying with Boq again, and the two would spend hours in a corner of the library, working quietly or complaining about Nikidik or, once in a while, discussing all that was happening in Munchkinland.

"It's the Animals all over again," Glinda said one day. She tucked her pen into her notebook and stared out the window.

"And just like with the Animals, no one is going to do anything about it." Boq sighed and pushed back his hair. "Oz, most people don't even _realize_ it."

"Elphaba did." Glinda ignored his stare and went on. "You and Elphaba realized this would happen months ago."

"Yes."

"Who's next?" she asked. "The Quadlings? The Vinkans? Is the Wizard going to keep destroying races until it's just the Gillikinese left?"

"I don't know," said Boq. "Does it even matter? Whatever terrible things he's planning, he'll get away with them."

Glinda faced him. "How…how can you say that?"

"What? It's not like we can do anything to stop him."

"You really believe that? After everything you did last year? After all that work, all that you risked?"

"And all that we lost? Yes. Yes I do." Boq slumped in his chair. "I believed in what Elphaba was doing. I thought, if there was a way to fix this, it was that research. But that was when it was just the Animals. That was when Dillamond was alive, and Elphie was still here. Now, it's all useless. Whatever chance we had was gone. The Wizard won against the Animals. He's winning against the Munchkins. He just…he wins. Every time, in every way."

"Then…then what is Elphaba doing?" Glinda met his gaze. "If there's no hope, why is she still fighting?"

"Because she's Elphaba," he sighed. "It's what she does."

"Why should she be the only one?"

Boq looked down at the table and stayed quiet for a long while. "I…don't want to leave Shiz," he said eventually. "You're right, of course. We shouldn't give up hope. But not all of us can pack up and leave in the middle of the night to go storm the Emerald City. Sometimes we're just stuck in one place, and there's not much we can do."

Glinda stayed silent. She didn't want to admit he was right. But what could Boq do if he was forced to go back to Munchkinland? What could Fiyero do when he eventually became the leader of his people and was forced to put them first? What could Crope and Tibbett do?

What could she do, stuck here at Shiz, then later in Frottica, playing the good girl, the proper aristocrat, the well-mannered socialite? Nothing.

"Glinda?"

She met his eyes again, but she couldn't think of anything to say. "Oz shouldn't be like this," she finally managed. Boq just sighed and nodded. She wasn't wrong, of course, but saying it didn't change anything.

* * *

Things worked a little differently when you didn't live in the underground.

Peric and Elphaba received missions from faceless agents lurking in shadowed corners or alleyways. They reported to various posts set up throughout the city—black market stalls, run-down taverns, small, low-lit chapels.

It was the last one that bothered Elphaba the most. With the utmost reluctance, she would follow Peric into the tiny stone chapels and kneel in a darkened corner before a statue or painting of some old saint.

The worst was when they were told to meet at a chapel of Saint Glinda. Elphaba would linger behind Peric and only half-listen as he reported the details of whatever mission they had just completed. She would stare up at the saint's icon, cursing her for having too-long hair, or a different shade of blue in her eyes, all the while being immensely grateful that she looked nothing like the Gillikinese girl who shared her name. More than once, Peric had to tug at her cloak or her braid to get her attention so they could leave.

The days passed as uneventfully as they could in their line of work. Getting out of the underground turned out to be good for Elphaba, and not just because the corn exchange was dryer. The change of scenery was apparently what her subconscious needed, and she began sleeping again without images of Glinda haunting her. There were still restless days, but she quickly learned that if she flew up to one of the windows on the second story, she could easily climb up onto the roof. From there, she could sit facing the north and allow her thoughts to drift across the miles.

She and Peric continued to work together flawlessly, and on their days off they worked around the corn exchange, gradually making it into a suitable living space. They cleaned out all the dust and arranged the crates and shelves into something that resembled furniture. Elphaba stacked a bunch of boxes in the corner to give Peric a high spot to make his nest. They borrowed a sorcery book from the underground, and Elphaba spent the better part of a weekend using magic to rebuild the staircase and make sure the second story was stable enough to walk on.

The wall around the elephant skull became a sort of shrine. Elphaba pushed a shelf up against it, beneath the skull, and covered it with belongings. There was an owl feather she had found on the ground—the same spotty brown pattern as Ayla—that she placed there. Next to it was a stack of the few pages left from Dillamond's research. She had found them scattered in odd places after the rest was destroyed, though most of them were too crumbled and worn to be read. There was also a spot for her mother's bottle, whose strange green glow complimented the looming elephant skull quite nicely.

Her hat hung near where she slept, along with the scarf Ama Clutch had made for her—at least, it _would_ , if she ever took the scarf off. She spread her oils across a board near the straw and blankets she had made into her bed. Every once in a while she would realize how empty it looked without the countless containers of perfume and makeup beside them, and she would have to look away.

A couple weeks after they moved to the corn exchange, they returned from a mission just before dawn. Elphaba put her hand on the front door and paused. Peric glanced up at her, then hopped in a slow circle, looking around them.

"What is it?" he asked, staring up and down the street.

"I don't know." She looked up at one of the windows they had boarded up. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but for the first time she noticed a tiny gap in the corner. She met Peric's eyes, then slowly turned the door handle.

Elphaba held out her hand as soon as they stepped inside, and her broom flew out of its corner and to her. Peric stood beside her, his head low and his wings out, ready to fly, but there was no point.

"An impressive entrance," said a voice from the stairs. Malky stood and stretched, then hopped down and padded over to them. "How in Oz did you know I was here?"

Elphaba shut the door behind her and set the broom against the wall. "A feeling. You got in through the window?"

"Barely." Malky looked around. "You two did a good job fortifying this place. I trust it's been serving you well?"

"It has," said Peric. "Are we reporting to you tonight?"

Malky's eyes gleamed up at them. "Thievery. Destruction of property. A warning to those who oppose us. You've done this routine dozens of times now. I already know how it went, don't I?"

"Then why are you here?" Elphaba asked. Peric looked at her, a warning in his eyes, but she ignored it. "You obviously came here for a reason. If it's not for a report, what is it?"

Malky tilted his head to the side, his whiskers twitching. "Asking questions can be dangerous. You still haven't learned that, have you, Fae?"

"Oh, I have," said Elphaba. "I just choose to ignore it sometimes. Like now, when you break into our house and stall instead of giving us an explanation."

"Fae…"

"No, it's alright," said Malky. His tail flicked back and forth. "I can see why Dillamond thought so highly of you. He also refused to follow our rules."

"He was a scholar, not a soldier," Elphaba said. "He believed that there was a peaceful way to make things right in Oz, and that's what he worked for."

"And you? Do you still believe there is a peaceful way?"

Malky studied her, his gaze unwavering. Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest and looked down.

Peric shifted next to her and hopped forward. "Enough. Fae is right. Why did you seek us out?"

"I have a new assignment for you."

"Another big one?" Peric asked. Malky lowered his head.

"It will require preparation. You will need to plan this out carefully."

"Sounds easy enough," Elphaba said, smirking down at Peric. He clicked his beak, eyes gleaming.

"You will need a third person."

They both stared back at Malky. "Who?" Elphaba asked. The Cat simply watched them, his tail flicking back and forth.

"Ah." Peric ruffled his wings a little. "It makes sense now."

Elphaba picked up her broom and wandered further into the room. "So what are we doing?"

"Have either of you heard of the Emerald Gold Towers?"

She paused and turned back to face him. "That big, fancy bank near the palace?"

Malky nodded. "It's personally endorsed by the Wizard. And we're going to rob it."


	13. Chapter 13

Glinda stared at the little jar of flames in her hand.

"Are they darker than normal?" Boq asked.

"I think so." It was just a few shades deeper than her normal pink hue, barely even noticeable, but she was still a little concerned. She frowned a bit before lowering the jar.

"Is that…normal?"

"I have no idea. I don't even know why they're a certain color in the first place. It's probably tied to emotion, though. Most magic is."

Boq raised an eyebrow. "Seems…unpredictable."

"You don't know the half of it." Glinda handed him the jar. "Take this and I'll meet you there? If Morrible sees me with magic outside her classroom, she'll kill me."

Warily, he took the flames. "I wish you were joking," he said. Glinda gave him a sympathetic smile and they parted ways, Boq heading for the lake and Glinda heading for the café in the main square of campus.

It was still early, especially for a Saturday, and she only passed a couple of students. She bought a bag of apples and a thermos of hot chocolate.

"Could you make it with milk, please?" she asked, sliding an extra couple of gold pieces across the counter. There was no point to it, really, without Elphaba there. But for some reason it made her feel better, so she took the fruit and the hot chocolate and hurried off to find the boys.

Crope and Tibbett had already spread out blankets in their usual grove of trees, and Fiyero was unpacking the basket full of sandwiches he had brought.

"Ah, there you are," Crope said as she walked up. "We were worried when we heard that Boq ditched you."

"I didn't ditch her!"

Glinda smiled and set her stuff down near the basket. "He didn't ditch me. Pass me the fire, Boq? I'm freezing."

Boq handed the jar over. "It got smaller when you gave it to me. I don't know what I did."

"Don't worry about it." Glinda passed her hand over the top and the flames grew again.

"You just don't have the magic touch," Fiyero said, winking at Boq.

"Oh, and you do?"

"Who knows? I've never tried my hand at sorcery."

"Please, let's talk about something else," said Glinda. "I've got hours of work to do for Morrible tomorrow. I'd rather not focus on sorcery two days in a row."

"As you wish." Tibbett leaned against Crope and sighed happily. "What's everyone doing for Lurlinemas?"

"Staying here, of course," said Fiyero. "I'll work at the library again, if Boq doesn't take all the shifts."

"You're staying, aren't you Boq?" asked Crope.

"Oh, definitely. I'm spending as much time here as possible, while I still can."

Glinda frowned. "Don't talk like that. I don't know what we'd do if you left."

"Come kidnap me from Munchkinland, I hope."

Tibbett sat up. "Count me in! What an adventure that would be, saving dear old Boq from the farm."

"Our damsel in distress," Crope said, batting his lashes. Boq picked up an apple and threw it at him.

"What about the two of you?" Glinda asked. "Are you staying here or going back to the Emerald City?"

Tibbett shrugged. "We'll stay here. I spent most of last winter break at Crope's house anyway."

"And you, dear Glinda?" Crope asked. "Will you be gracing us with your presence over Lurlinemas?"

Glinda hadn't given it much thought yet, but she knew her answer. The only thing she could think of that would be worse than spending Lurlinemas in her empty room, missing Elphaba, was spending a month at home putting on a smile for her family. She might be able to fool her parents, but Ama Clutch would see right through her, and Glinda didn't think she could handle that.

"I'm staying," she said.

* * *

It took them an entire week to prepare. One whole week of scoping the bank out and gathering information. They studied the guards and their patrols. They memorized every window and door and which street it led out to. Peric spent the better part of a night flying over and around the building, looking for anything that could give them an aerial advantage. Malky had been given blueprints of the bank's interior, and together they carefully plotted out their every move.

It wasn't a complicated plan, and they were all skilled enough to pull it off. Elphaba's only concern was that they would have to split up to get into the building.

There were guards posted all across the ground, with no real gaps in their perimeter. The only one of them who had a chance to slip through was Malky, meaning Peric and Elphaba would have to find another way in.

"There are two guards on the roof," Peric had said. "Once we know Malky's in, Fae and I can fly up there and take them out, and then we'll make our way down to the ground floor."

"The vaults are underground and most likely guarded by multiple men," said Malky. "We need a distraction."

"I'll do it," Peric volunteered. "That way Fae can stay with you and unlock the vaults."

"Once they see him, they'll raise an alarm," Elphaba said. "We won't have much time to get in and out, and slipping past the guards outside won't be an option anymore."

"So one of us will carry Malky, and we'll fly out," Peric said. Malky humphed a little, but made no real objections.

Once or twice Elphaba and Peric snuck out of the city at night so she could practice flying, and she spent every afternoon casting magic. Malky went back and forth between the corn exchange and the underground, but when he was there he would sit quietly, watching curiously as she started fires and sent crates flying across the room.

They were all restless when the day finally came. Peric left in the afternoon to hunt, but Elphaba and Malky stayed at the corn exchange, going over the details of the vaults one last time. Elphaba lasted a couple of hours before her eyes started to burn, so she stood up and began pacing instead, and eventually she ended up on the rooftop, staring across the slums of the city.

After a while, Malky jumped up to the roof and padded quietly over to her. He sat nearby, not quite next to her, his tail curling around his front paws. The three of them had worked well together so far, but there was still some awkwardness between them. Elphaba kept her gaze on the skyline and waited for Malky to speak.

"I want to apologize for what I said the other day, about Dr. Dillamond," he said eventually. "I didn't mean to offend."

"You didn't," said Elphaba.

"You cared deeply for him?" Malky asked. She nodded. "I know he felt the same."

"Did you know he didn't want me to come here?" Elphaba regretted it as soon as she said it, but Malky simply smiled, following her gaze across the city.

"I did, actually. This life isn't easy. He wanted to spare you from it, if at all possible."

"But it wasn't possible, was it?"

He sighed. "Unfortunately, no, I don't believe so. I don't think any of us realized how bad things had gotten at Shiz."

She curled up a little tighter. "At least it's better now that I'm gone." Malky gave no response, and she glanced down at him. "…Isn't it?"

"I'm sure the situation has improved," Malky said carefully. "But I'm afraid that campus will never really be safe. Not while Morrible is in charge." Elphaba tensed, and he looked up at her. "You have loved ones there."

She pressed her lips together and nodded once.

"Fae—"

"Let's just focus on the job. Peric should be back soon." With that, she walked to the roof's edge and stepped off, sliding onto her broom and gliding through the window, out of his sight.

* * *

It was well past midnight when they left the corn exchange that night. Elphaba pulled Ama Clutch's scarf up over her nose and tugged the brim of her hat down low. She pulled her bag over her head and tucked it safely beneath her cloak, then shouldered her broom and followed the other two out the door.

They moved soundlessly through the streets. They had practiced this over the past week, too. There was an alleyway that faced a corner of the bank, and that's where they stopped.

Emerald Gold Towers was, in all reality, a beautiful building. It stretched toward the sky, its shining metal walls reflecting the glittering city that surrounded it. The grounds were covered in well-trimmed bushes and neat little flower gardens. On every corner of the building a guard was posted, though by this time of night they had all slumped against the walls and were staring dazedly across the street.

Elphaba craned her neck to look up at the top of the building. "Did anyone actually earn the money that's in there, or was it all just stolen from the lower classes?"

"Stolen, definitely," muttered Peric. "Ready, Malky?"

"See you on the inside." With that, the Cat slipped forward, disappearing into the nearest row of bushes without so much as a rustle. Elphaba and Peric waited for another minute or two, just in case something went wrong, but the guards never moved.

Peric nudged her thigh. Wordlessly, they backed up until they were a block away. Elphaba mounted her broom and nodded at Peric, who unfurled his wings and jumped into the air. She kicked off the ground and followed, leaning low over the broom. It was almost too dark to keep track of him—a good thing, in Elphaba's mind—but she managed to keep on his tail.

They flew up and circled high above the tower. Elphaba peered down, but she could barely make out the guards on the rooftop. Peric, however, had no such trouble. He clicked his beak once and dove down without bothering to wait for her. Rolling her eyes, Elphaba leaned forward into a dive, hoping that the extra flying practice the last few days would pay off.

It did. She watched Peric tilt toward the guard on the left, so she turned slightly to aim for the other. The wind whistled in her ears as she sailed in closer. The guard turned at the last minute and saw her, but as he was raising his gun she yanked the broom sideways. It spun around, hitting him square in the head and sending him crumbling to the ground. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Peric swoop down and land on the other guard's shoulders, knocking him down before he could even react.

"Pretty smooth flying," Peric said as she dismounted. "Have you been practicing or something?"

"I'm just naturally talented." Elphaba checked to make sure the guard was breathing, then dragged him over to the other one and tied their wrists together with a quick spell. She and Peric made their way to the little metal door that led into the building.

"Do we really have to take the stairs?" Peric asked, peering out through the railing on the top floor.

Elphaba didn't answer, just started down the first flight. They had no idea how many guards were wandering around inside the bank. If they flew down, someone could see them and raise the alarm, and then the entire mission would be ruined.

As it turned out, they only ran into a handful of men, all of them alone, and it was all too easy to knock them out and move them out of sight. In no time at all they were on the first floor, looking around for Malky.

The Cat found them first. He seemed to materialize out of the shadows beside Peric.

"There were only three men on this floor," he told them. "They're all taken care of. Shall we head down?"

There was a separate staircase across the room, leading down to underground vaults. Elphaba stared at it.

"Peric, how much time can you give us?"

"As much as you need." He shifted his feet. "Uh, if you hurry."

"Make sure they see you and only you," Malky said. "They can't know someone else is here until it's too late."

"No problem. Should I go now, or do you want to stay and chat for a while?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Peric winked at her, then unfurled his wings and flew to the staircase. Elphaba made sure she was covered in shadows, then slowly followed him across the room. Malky stayed close beside her so that her cloak concealed most of his body.

It didn't take long for the first gunshot to ring out. Elphaba tensed, but a moment later Peric flew back into sight, and one glance at him told her he was fine. She caught a glimpse of his smirk as half a dozen men came running up the stairs after him. She and Malky hurried forward and slipped silently past the chaos, heading underground.

Two guards were on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, courtesy of Peric. Elphaba stepped carefully around them and continued on. The basement floor was a maze of hallways connecting dozens of steel vaults together. They were labeled only by number, but Malky had their targets memorized. He ran down one of the halls, Elphaba following close behind him.

"Vault number 743," he said, coming to a stop. "A Gillikin politician who signed the bill to ban Animals from holding high-paying jobs."

Elphaba all too gladly stepped forward and pressed her palms to the vault's door. "It's a deadbolt," she said, sliding her hand over. It was heavy, too, but after a moment's concentration there was a scraping sound, and the bolt slid open. "That was loud."

"It's fine," Malky said. "Let's just hurry. We have two more after this."

She couldn't help it. As she pushed the door open, Elphaba's jaw dropped. The vault was lined with stacks of gold and paper notes. Jewels glittered from ornate, overflowing vases. There were other treasures, too—beautiful portraits, ornamented weapons, family crests, sealed chests and safes with who knows what in them—but they focused on the money.

"I have no love for religion," Elphaba murmured, "But if people like this donated to the unionist charity boxes, then this city would have no lower districts."

"Corruption hurts everyone," said Malky. "We Animals were never the only ones suffering from the Wizard's rule."

She nodded grimly. Together, they scooped up stacks of notes—they were lighter than the gold and jewels—and scooped them into Elphaba's bag. They hardly made a dent in the man's fortune, but Elphaba's bag was filling quickly. Malky took to shredding a few of the portraits, and Elphaba swung her broom at a few of the vases, shattering them.

It didn't feel like enough, but there were still two vaults left. They slipped out, not bothering to lock the door again, and headed to the next two targets: a wealthy circus owner, and an innkeeper who hired Munchkinlanders so she could pay them next to nothing. Neither vault was as impressive as the first, but Elphaba still enjoyed pocketing their money.

They were leaving the last vault and running back to the staircase when Elphaba felt it. There was a faint hum of energy resonating from one of the vaults. She came to a stop outside it.

"Malky? Who owns this vault?"

He glanced up at the number, then let out a low hiss. "We should go."

"Whose is it?"

"…Madame Morrible."

Elphaba tensed. She reached for the vault, her hand hovering just above the door. What kind of valuables did Morrible keep in the Emerald City? What kind of horrors? How much damage could Elphaba do, if she only took another step forward and tried her luck with the lock?

But no. The door was protected by magic—she could feel that much. Morrible would find out, and she would know where Elphaba was, what she was doing. She would hunt her down.

No, she wouldn't even bother. She would just hurt Glinda instead.

Elphaba swallowed and stumbled back. "You're right. Let's go."

Malky let out a tiny huff—possibly in relief—and the two hurried up to the ground floor, where one look at Peric told Elphaba that things weren't going well.

She paused at the top of the stairs and dropped to a crouch, holding out her arm to stop Malky. Peric was flying high above the guards' heads, sticking to the shadows as much as he could so they wouldn't get a clear shot. There were too many men in the room for him to even land safely. Somewhere in the distance, a bell was tolling.

"They're about to have reinforcements," said Malky. He was crouched low to the ground, hackles raised, but he could only watch Peric fly above them.

Elphaba took a deep breath and gazed across the room at the men. She thought about Morrible's vault, humming with magic, then of Morrible herself, sitting smug and terrifying in her office at Shiz. Energy poured through her, and she thrust both arms out. The men were thrown off their feet, landing against the walls or in crumbled heaps across the floor.

Peric swooped down to them. "Took you guys long enough."

"We need to leave," said Malky. "More guards will be here any moment."

"And these ones aren't staying down long," Elphaba muttered. Already the first few guards were starting to climb to their feet.

"We're not getting out of here without being shot at, are we?" Peric tucked his head back into his neck and hopped back a little. Elphaba made a snap decision.

"Malky, take this," she said, tearing her bag off and handing it over. "Peric, take Malky. Fly out the nearest window and don't stop. I'll head to the roof on foot and try to draw their fire."

"But—"

"You saw what I just did. I'll be fine. Now get out of here."

Malky took the bag in his mouth. Peric glared at Elphaba, then leapt into the air. He grabbed Malky—who gave a muffled, indignant yowl—and flew off. One of the guards scrambled for his gun and aimed up, but Elphaba shifted her grip on her broom and threw it, knocking the weapon out of his hands.

"What the—"

She stuck her hand out again, summoning the broom back, and gave a quick, two-fingered salute to the guard. He shouted something at her, but she was already running up the stairs.

There was something wildly, inappropriately entertaining about sprinting up the stairs of the Emerald City's most elite bank with a dozen or so armed guards chasing after her. Elphaba couldn't help it. She let out a cackle as she twisted around and sent another gust of wind at the men, forcing them back again. Of course, she couldn't run all the way up to the roof, so she grabbed the railing and vaulted over, smirking as she heard the guards cry out in surprise. She swung the broom around and landed on it, instantly soaring for the ceiling. Gunshots sounded from below, but nothing hit her. In seconds Elphaba had reached the doors that led onto the roof. She landed in front of them and hurried through, spinning around to seal them with a quick spell. She had made it.

Except…

The back of her neck prickled, and she spun around, holding her broom defensively. The two guards from earlier were still passed out on the ground, but standing between them was…a short, balding man.

Elphaba shifted her grip on the broom. The man was middle-aged, dressed in a faded gray suit, and completely unimpressive. She was unnerved.

"Elphaba Thropp."

"Who are you?"

He just smiled. "It's quite an honor, you know."

"I asked, who are you?"

"You mean you don't know? I suppose that makes sense. Most people don't recognize me. You, however, are unmistakable, aren't you?" He folded his hands behind his back and studied her calmly. "I've heard quite a bit about you, actually. My source at Shiz was quite impressed with you."

Realization hit, cold and hard, and Elphaba repressed the urge to shudder. Instead she scowled at the Wizard. "Oh?" she asked, forcing her voice to stay even. "Is that why she tried to kill me?"

He sighed. "Regrettable, truly. But you were beginning to get out of hand."

"And now?"

"Now…" He seemed to think about it for a moment, his eyes casting up to the sky. "The situation is closer to me, now. It's a little different."

"So you're not going to kill me."

"No, I don't think so. I believe you are too valuable to waste."

Elphaba scowled. "You're assuming I would ever help you."

The Wizard tilted his head at her, and once again she was struck by how average he seemed.

"I do believe you can be persuaded, Miss Elphaba." She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off with another smile. "What about, for instance, your old roommate?"

Elphaba knew she should lie. She should roll her eyes or scoff or do _something_ other than stand there, frozen with cold, sickening dread. But it was too late. The Wizard had seen her reaction.

"Interesting," he said softly. "Very interesting."

She raised her hand, summoning flames. If it was too late to bluff, then she'd have to try something else. "If you ever—"

"Let's be civil now, Miss Elphaba," he said, holding his arms up. "I'm only making conversation."

But why? Why was he, of all people, waiting for her on this rooftop?

"I'm intrigued, though. Madame Morrible had told me you have no interest in sorcery. I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear you've since changed your mind."

"I should blast you off this roof," she growled.

"But you won't. Not if you want Miss Glinda to stay safe."

She glared, but the Wizard didn't seem to notice. "You know, I had been wondering when you would end up in my city," he said. "Have you heard the rumors about yourself? Some people have been calling you the green witch, did you know? I personally think you could do better."

There was a sudden pounding of footsteps in the stairwell behind her, accompanied by far more shouts than before. Elphaba's eyes widened. "You were stalling," she breathed.

If he heard, he didn't acknowledge it. "You're from Munchkinland, yes? What about, the _witch of the west_ —no, _wicked_ witch of the west. It has a nice sound to it, don't you think?"

Elphaba ignored him and swung a leg over her broom. She glanced at him, but he made no move to stop her. Instead he gave her one last smile and stepped back, gesturing toward the sky. "Go on, then, if you're so impatient to be off. Oh, but, Miss Elphaba? Do be careful. I will be most disappointed if we don't get the chance to meet again."

Elphaba wanted nothing more than to pick him up and drop him from a mile high, but his threat about Glinda stopped her. Instead, she pushed off the rooftop and flew over his head, resisting the urge to kick him as she passed. She heard the guards burst onto the rooftop, but she was already out of range, disappearing into the sky.

* * *

"Hell and Oz, Fae, what took you so long?"

Elphaba stumbled into the alleyway that was their rendezvous and all but collapsed against the wall. Peric hurried forward, but she waved him off.

"I'm fine. It's fine. Let's just keep moving."

"What _happened_ back there?"

"Nothing," she said. "I'll tell you later. Let's go."

Malky peered at her. He stepped forward and dropped the bag at her feet. "That was…very brave of you."

Elphaba avoided his gaze as she shouldered the bag. "Let's get out of here."


	14. Chapter 14

Glinda stared out the window of the carriage. It had been freezing cold for weeks, and the sky was a pale, dreary gray, but not so much as a flurry had made its way to Shiz yet.

"Do you think it's ever going to snow?" she asked. Fiyero followed her gaze out to the sky.

"I hope so," he said. "If it's going to be this cold all the time, we might as well have some fun with it."

"Just not today, okay?" said Boq. "I did _not_ let you all drag me out here just for it to snow on us."

Tibbett folded his hands together and closed his eyes. "Dear Lurline, please let it snow so Boq can be extra grumpy on our day out." Boq kicked him. "Hey!"

"Relax," said Crope. "You need a break from studying. Both of you do." He aimed this last part at Glinda, who shrugged and looked back out the window.

"I just don't understand why we had to go all the way off campus," Boq grumbled.

"I can't keep making those fires," said Glinda. She gave a small, apologetic smile. "Morrible's keeping an eye on me. And without them, it's way too cold to be out around campus." It wasn't a lie, Glinda reasoned silently. It just wasn't the whole truth.

The whole truth was that she was starting to get nervous around her friends again. In Morrible's classroom, the only magic she could pull off was angry and uncontrolled. She didn't want that to happen around her friends, but she couldn't just hide away from them again. She needed them.

So she compromised: no magic when she was with the boys.

"We could always hang out inside," Boq argued.

"Yes. Like in the library, where Boq will ignore us and go back to studying." Crope nudged the Munchkin. "It's one day. Just enjoy yourself."

"I heard the town put up decorations already," said Fiyero. "And all sorts of new merchants are here for the Lurlinemas season."

"Yeah, I'm still broke."

"Window shopping," Crope suggested. At that moment, the carriage slowed to a halt.

"We're here!" Glinda hopped down from the cab first and stood on the sidewalk, bouncing a little on her heels.

Shiz _had_ decorated. Garlands hung from the rooftops, spotted with baubles of gold and red. Many corners had short little spruce trees that were decorated the same. Sprigs of holly hung over doorways, and candles sat flickering in windows that had been painted with white to look like frost. A few shops had even dared to set out little figurines of Lurline and Ozma.

"Pretty bold," Boq said, nodding at a little Lurline in a nearby windowsill. "If the Wizard knew…"

"I like it," said Glinda. The figure was wearing a little velvet dress and its face was hand painted with the utmost delicacy and care. "The Wizard can't control everything. And besides, it's pretty."

They wandered through the town. No one really felt like buying anything, but just looking around was entertaining enough. It was just a little too early in the season for the streets to be crowded, but they certainly weren't the only ones out shopping. A mother picked up milk and fresh bread and stopped with her two little girls to look at the dolls in the window of a toy shop. An older man was sifting through racks of winter clothes, asking the woman at the booth which hat would be a better Lurlinemas gift for his wife.

A short, plump woman with silvery hair sat at a table on the corner, passing out little cups of hot cider to anyone who passed by. She called out to Glinda and the others as they passed, beckoning them over.

"Oh, come, come, you kids must be freezing. Please, have some cider. No, no, no gold. It's my treat. A little holiday spirit to go around."

"Thank you," Fiyero said, passing cups around to the rest of them. The woman's eyes sparkled.

"Oh, it's my pleasure. You're from the Vinkus, aren't you, lad? This weather's pretty different than you're used to, isn't it? You kids must be from the university. Having a little fun before the end of this semester comes around?"

Glinda smiled. "We are. We figured this is our last chance, before it gets too cold." Fiyero handed her a cup, and she passed it back to Boq. The woman's gaze followed her, and her head tilted to the side as she saw him.

"A Munchkin, huh?" Her eyes were sad. "We don't see many of you around here anymore."

Boq stiffened and said nothing. Glinda put a hand on his arm.

"Boq here has got top marks at the boys' college," Crope said, wrapping an arm around him.

"Master Boq, is it?" The woman's smile returned. "Shiz should be honored to have you, then. Don't worry, dearies. I don't mean any harm here. It's a shame, really. Shiz used to be home to all sorts of interesting people and Animals. We've lost our color, so to speak."

Glinda wrapped her fingers around her cup, warming them. "It is a shame."

"Well, then, what are we to do about it?" The woman leaned back. "I just sit here, try to be kind to everyone who passes by, but that's about all I can do. You kids, though. You've still got energy. You've still got a future. What can _you_ do about it?"

The boys all looked at each other, but Glinda only stared forward, watching the woman. She gave a little wink, then turned and waved her arm at someone coming up the block. "Oh, Miss Avery, how are you? You and your girls look lovely today. Please, please, come and get some cider. It's too cold to be wandering out here without something warm to drink."

Fiyero tugged gently on Glinda's sleeve, and the group wandered off, leaving the corner.

"She seemed…friendly," said Tibbett, tossing his empty cup in a nearby bin.

"Do you really think she meant it?" Fiyero asked. "I mean, that we can do something about it?"

Glinda scowled down at her shoes. Elphaba and the boys had all tried to do somethinglast year, and look where it got them. Absolutely no good had come of it.

Except, maybe, the fact that it had brought them all closer together. She looked up again.

"I think Elphaba would have liked her," she said quietly. The others nodded.

"I don't know," Boq said lightly. "I think she would have disagreed about the whole _I'm old, I can't do anything anymore_ part."

Crope chuckled. "Fair enough. I can just picture Elphie with gray hair, whacking Morrible in the face with her cane."

Glinda laughed out loud at the mental picture, but she was cut off by the sound of someone crying out, coming from a nearby alley.

"What the…"

Maybe it was because she was thinking of Elphaba, but Glinda took off before the others could even react. She ran around the corner and into the alley, skidding to a halt when she saw two men in the corner. They were towering over someone, but Glinda couldn't quite make out who it was. She hurried forward anyway.

"Hey!"

The men spun around, and Glinda caught a glimpse of a Bird of some sort, huddled against the wall.

The men looked amused. "What do _you_ want?"

"Get out of here. Leave them alone."

"Or what, blondie?"

Glinda glared. Without thinking, she thrust an arm out, sending the men crashing back into the wall. She raised her other hand and summoned flames, barely noticing that they were a vibrant shade of green. "Take a wild guess," she growled.

The men scrambled to their feet and ran off. Glinda stared down at her hand and shook the fire away, mentally cursing herself. She had _sworn_ she wouldn't do this. The boys were just behind her. The last few weeks were getting better, but if she kept doing this, if she lost control around them…

"Mama?"

"Hush. Stay behind me."

She looked up at the Bird again. It was an Owl, brown and spotty, and shivering behind her must have been her daughter. Glinda blinked.

"A-Ayla?"

The Owl tensed. "…Glinda?"

"Oh, Oz, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" Glinda had moved forward, but Ayla wrapped a wing around her daughter and hopped back further into the corner. Glinda stopped and knelt down instead. "I won't hurt you, I promise. Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Ayla stared at her for a long moment. Her eyes were harder than Glinda remembered. "We're fine," she said eventually. Her voice was flat. "What are _you_ doing here? Where is Elphaba?"

Glinda opened her mouth, then shut it again. She looked at the ground.

After a moment or two, she heard Ayla shift. Her voice softened a little. "I see. I had…wondered…if that would happen."

"She's fighting," Glinda said. "She's trying to make Oz a better place."

Ayla clicked her beak. "It's too late. For some of us, at least."

"It doesn't have to be." She looked up. "Shiz might not be safe, but there are other places. You could leave, find somewhere you don't have to deal with people like that. You and your daughter can live peacefully—"

"For how long?" Ayla snapped. "Until the Wizard's men march into that place, and then the next? There are no safe places, and there never will be."

"You don't know that! That's why Elphaba is fighting! That's why—"

"If you really believe that, then why aren't you with her?"

Glinda winced. Behind her, she heard the boys' footsteps coming into the alley. Ayla lowered her head.

"Perhaps you're right," she sighed. "It's time for us to leave Shiz. But you don't understand, Glinda. You couldn't possible understand what it's like, being forced to leave your home."

"I'm sorry," Glinda whispered, but Ayla just turned away, ushering her daughter forward and out of sight. Glinda stayed on the ground, jumping a little when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Glinda?" Boq's voice was gentle. "Maybe…maybe we should head back, now."

She nodded a little, sniffing, and he helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry," she said again, her voice cracking.

"Don't worry about it," Crope said easily. He stared down the alley where Ayla had disappeared. "It's getting too cold to be out here anyway."

* * *

Elphaba sat on her makeshift bed, running Ama Clutch's scarf through her fingers.

It was the morning after the bank, and Peric was peering down at her from his nest. She knew he was waiting for an explanation of the night before, but he said nothing, and she refused to look up and meet his gaze. They stayed that way until almost noon, when Malky slipped in through a hole in one of the boarded up windows.

He made his way down to the ground and set Elphaba's bag—now empty—beside her.

"Most of the money will go toward our cause and our allies," Malky said, sitting down in front of her. "The rest will be used to fund charities for the poor and homeless in the city, to help them through the winter."

Peric glided down and settled beside them. "What do we do now?"

Malky's whiskers twitched. "They are…pleased with us," he said slowly. "So pleased, in fact, that they've decided to have us continue to work together."

"You're staying," Elphaba said.

"If you wish otherwise, I can speak to them, see what—"

"No." She looked over at Peric, who lowered his head a little. "No, we worked well together."

Malky's tail flicked and she swore she saw him smile. "Very well. As for what happens now, we have some time off. But first…" He looked over at Peric, and then the two of them turned toward Elphaba, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Fae," Peric said softly. "Just tell us. What happened last night?"

"I…don't really know." Quietly, she told them about what happened on the rooftop. She described the Wizard and everything he had told her. "I can't tell if he was just trying to get a rise out of me, or if he was serious."

Malky lowered himself until he was half-crouching, half-laying down. His pupils narrowed as he listened. Peric folded and unfolded his wings, hopping from foot to foot. He spoke first.

"I'm serious, Fae. Go visit her."

Elphaba looked away. "You act like it's so simple."

"It _is._ You're worried about her, you want to see her again, so just go."

"What if I'm just putting her in more danger?"

"You won't be." Malky looked calmly between the two of them. "You're talented enough to not be caught. It's obvious you care about this Glinda. You have time off, anyway. If you stay here, you'll only drive yourself crazy worrying about her."

"They'll be expecting me to go," she muttered, but Malky shook his head.

"I don't think so. You ran away from Shiz. I doubt they expect you to ever return—especially while Morrible is there."

Elphaba frowned at the ground, but Peric clicked his beak, grabbing her attention. The two stared at each other wordlessly. Malky looked between them, then quietly rose to his feet and wandered off, giving them space.

When he was out of earshot, Peric hopped forward and nipped at her braid. "Go. You know you want to."

Of course she wanted to, but… "How do I know she even cares anymore?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, how would you know? You've never even met her."

Peric shifted from foot to foot and tucked his head back.

She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" He twisted his neck around and picked at his wing. Elphaba scowled. "Peric."

He huffed a little and looked up at her. "Fine. Remember when I left for a week to hunt?"

"Yes."

"I…may or may not have gone to Shiz."

Elphaba clutched the scarf in her hands. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I just…looked around."

"You saw her?" The words barely came out. She swallowed and tried again. "Peric?"

"I followed her around campus for part of a day. She…she was sad, Fae. It was clear she missed you."

Elphaba sighed and hugged her knees to her chest. "Oz. She's going to kill me, isn't she?"

Peric laughed—actually _laughed_ —in his strange, huffing way. "Of course," he said. "You volunteer to face a dozen armed guards alone, yet when it comes to a short blonde girl, you're terrified."

She tried to scowl, but it didn't quite work. Peric nudged her.

"Stop making excuses and just go, already."

Elphaba bit her lip and looked down at him. Slowly, she nodded.

"You're right. Okay. I…I need to start packing."

* * *

Once she made her decision, Elphaba was immediately anxious to leave. She hurried around the corn exchange, tucking food and her oils and whatever else she needed into her bag. It didn't take long to prepare, but that meant she had nothing to do but pace in front of her bed as she waited for nightfall. Malky and Peric sat together on the second floor and watched her with a mix of exasperation and amusement, which she tried valiantly to ignore.

When it was finally dark enough for her to slip away, she double checked her bag, wrapped Ama Clutch's scarf around her neck, and tugged her hat down low. As she was shouldering her broom, Peric flew down beside her.

"Take your time," he told her firmly.

"It's been months," Elphaba muttered. "No amount of days is going to make up for that."

"You can try. Besides, I'm sure there's _something_ you can do to make up for it."

Something in his tone made her blush furiously. She glared down at him, but he simply clicked his beak and hopped out of kicking range.

"Good luck, Fae," Malky called. She nodded up at him, then made a face at Peric.

Then she kicked off from the ground and flew easily out the single open window. Within seconds she was high above the city, out of sight of anyone below.

Elphaba tilted her broom, angling north, simultaneously eager and terrified to find out what awaited her at Shiz.

* * *

Glinda felt as though she only had two states of being these days. Well, no, three. One was when she was with the boys, and she was almost herself. The other two were exhausted and angry. And today she was exhausted.

She mused about all of this during Nikidik's class. She had found that if she copied down the notes from the board, she didn't actually have to listen to him. She would just study the material later with Boq, anyway.

She couldn't remember the last time she slept through the night. It didn't help that it had been storming off and on all week. Winter had officially arrived at Shiz, though it refused to actually snow and instead sent pouring, freezing rain, complete with thunder and lightning.

It also didn't help that she was still thinking about Ayla. Was she alright? Did she really leave Shiz? Was it true what she said—that if Glinda really believed in Elphaba, she would have gone with her?

But Elphaba didn't ask. Glinda didn't have a choice. Did she?

She was too tired for this. Glinda pressed her palms into her eyes, willing the sting away. She wished the day was over already. Even her empty room seemed inviting right now.

The bell tolled across campus, chiming the hour and releasing them from class. Glinda slid her books into her bag and bit back a yawn. All she had to do was get through her sorcery class, then another hour with Morrible, and she would be free for the weekend. The boys hadn't made any plans yet, which worried her a little. She was exhausted, but if she didn't have something else to do, she was likely to not leave Elphaba's bed all weekend.

Not healthy.

Glinda walked into the sorcery classroom and set her bag down at her desk. Morrible strolled in a minute later.

"Good afternoon, class. Everyone can have a seat. Today will be more of a research day."

Glinda watched as Morrible walked around the front of the class, her eyes scanning the room.

"As I'm sure you all know, finals are approaching in a few weeks. You will of course have your practical exam in this class, like usual." Her eyes met Glinda's for a moment, her lips curling into a smug little grin. "But instead of the normal written test, I want each of you to independently research and write a paper on a topic of your choosing. I expect these projects to go beyond what we have learned in class thus far. You have today and the rest of the weekend to choose a topic. Well?" Her eyes darted around. "What are you waiting for? Begin."

There was a flurry of movement as students began pulling out books and journals. Glinda hesitated, wondering if she was really going to get through the period without casting magic. When Morrible didn't head her way, she allowed herself a smile and pulled out her textbook.

She thumbed through the book, scanning the page headings for any ideas. Perhaps she could write about fire magic. Her little pink flames had been one of the first spells she cast on her own. Maybe she could research different properties of the spell, and why it changed color from time to time.

But then she remembered the last weekend, and how she had conjured those green flames so naturally, with the boys just a few yards away. She shook her head and kept flipping through the pages.

 _The School of Restoration._

Glinda paused, letting the book fall open. When they had first learned healing spells last year, she was terrible. She had failed and failed, and Morrible had kept her after class until she lost control and burned herself.

And then she had stumbled back to Crage Hall, ashamed and furious and miserable, and Elphaba had silently tossed her a jar of her burn cream. It hadn't seemed like much at the time, but it was one of the first friendly interactions between them. Glinda set her chin in her hand and gazed down at the book. It was weird, thinking about how far they'd come. And a part of that journey, however small, was because of a healing spell.

Glinda had gotten better at it by the end of the semester, of course. She hadn't tried casting a healing spell since last year. She twisted in her chair and looked at the supply shelves on the back wall of the room, where the dummies used to practice restoration magic were stored. She was suddenly curious as to whether or not she could do it.

Morrible passed by her desk, and Glinda turned back around, resisting the urge to try. She would have to practice some other time, just to see.

The rest of the class passed quietly, and when the bell chimed across campus and she followed Morrible back into her office, Glinda felt slightly less anxious about the hour ahead of her.

"Sit, my dear. We're only going to be talking today."

Glinda's face stayed blank as she eased herself into the chair across from Morrible.

"Now, I would like to discuss your final. You will be taking the practical exam and writing the paper like the rest of your classmates, do you understand?"

She frowned. "I never expected anything different."

"Oh, but it will be different," said Morrible, leaning forward across the desk. "I will, of course, be holding higher expectations of you."

"Why? Because I've been doing so well this semester?"

Morrible's gaze was cold. "You _would_ be doing well, if you took any of this seriously."

"I don't know why you're surprised," Glinda said. "I told you I wanted to study architecture."

"Yet you decided on sorcery."

" _You_ decided on sorcery. I had no choice."

"You had every choice, Miss Glinda. I merely presented your options. Don't object. It's useless arguing about it now. What's done is done, and you are a sorcery student until the day you graduate from Shiz. Or, of course, until you take a certain offer of mine."

" _No_."

"We shall see." Morrible's eyes gleamed. "But I did not bring you here to discuss that. Not today. Instead, I would like to talk about your paper. Have you chosen a topic?"

"Yes." Glinda shifted in her chair and hugged her bag closer. "I'm going to research healing spells."

Madame Morrible scoffed. "Really, my dear, you'd be wasting your talents on such a simplistic field of study."

"Restoration is one of the main schools of magic," Glinda argued. "And healing spells aren't simple, they're _vital_. Besides, you've only taught us how to treat minor surface wounds. There's so much more to it—bone structure, organ systems, ailments you can't see, like disease or poison."

Morrible made a disapproving noise. "I believe it to be a waste of time. We have doctors for a reason. Your talents as a sorceress would be wasted if you studied _healing._ "

"You said we could choose what we researched," Glinda said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I choose this."

"Fine. Whatever." Morrible waved her hand. "You are dismissed for the day. But don't expect any help from me on this project. I personally know only basic healing spells. The rest is unimportant to me."

This topic suddenly seemed perfect to Glinda. "Don't worry, Madame," she said evenly. "I have never wanted your help, and this time is no different."

She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the office before the headmistress could respond. The door slammed shut behind her, but Glinda just rolled her eyes and continued out of the sorcery building.

Already the sun was fading around campus. Glinda was still exhausted, but now she wasn't quite ready to go back to her room. Once she was there, she wasn't sure she'd find the strength to come back out until Monday. She paused at the end of the path she was on, then made her decision. She turned away from Crage Hall and wandered further away from the central part of campus.

Her feet left concrete as she wandered off the sidewalk and toward the trees that dotted this part of campus. She could never quite remember how to get to Dillamond's memorial, but somehow she always made it.

She had come here once, over the summer, when the empty room had felt just a little too heavy, and she had run, nearly screaming from Crage Hall. Now, months later, nothing seemed to have changed. The jar of blue and grey flames had yet to go out, and the lily petals remained beneath them, untouched, not even withered. The dark, polished stone was still in its place, nestled safely between the tree roots.

She had never known Dr. Dillamond the way Elphaba had, but somehow this place was still soothing to her. Glinda knelt before the tree and brushed some loose dirt off the stone. She wondered if Dillamond knew they had made this for him. She wondered if he knew how much Elphaba had fought for him, was still fighting for him. She wondered if he knew where Elphaba was now, and if he was somehow watching over her.

Glinda shook her head. Religious sentiment. Elphaba would have been offended. Sighing, she shifted around to sit next to the stone, her back against the tree. She could fall asleep here, if it weren't so cold. Oz, she could probably fall asleep anyway. She was so tired…

And it was dark. Darker than it had been a moment ago. Glinda blinked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

There was still some light in the sky, but not much. She should head back to Crage Hall. She would freeze if she stayed out here, and the dark campus was unnerving. Glinda crawled to her feet and rubbed her arms, shivering. She pulled her bag higher on her shoulder and started back to the main part of campus.

She was still trembling, even as she entered Crage Hall and trudged up the familiar path to her room. She clumsily put her key in the lock and stumbled inside, letting her bag fall from her shoulder the moment she was through the door. She kicked it to the side, but then paused.

Slowly, Glinda looked up, blinking in the darkness. Something was different, as if the room was as alert as she suddenly was. As if there was a sort of energy, one that hadn't been there for months. As if the very walls were waiting, holding their breath.

As if she wasn't alone.

Glinda shut the door behind her. She couldn't make out the shadow huddled at her window, but she didn't need to. She didn't need to see the long, raven-colored braid, or the slender green fingers, or the dark, rich depth of the eyes she could feel watching her. She knew who it was just by the feeling in her chest—as if her heart had vanished, leaving her in order to run into the arms of the figure that was now standing up straight, staring openly at her.

"You're okay." Elphaba's voice was lower. Raspier. It fit all too well with the tattered cloak and wide-brimmed hat that shrouded her face.

"You're here." She _was_ here, right? Glinda took a half step forward. She reached out, uncertain, for Elphaba, but then her arm retreated, wrapping around her waist instead.

"I can't stay." Elphaba moved closer, too, until the girls were nearly touching. She clutched her broom with both hands and tried hopelessly to tear her eyes away from Glinda's. "I can't stay," she said again. "I have to—"

"Why did you come here?"

 _I needed to make sure you're okay,_ was what she wanted to say. But her throat closed up and her mouth was dry and the only words she managed to get out were, "I needed to…"

Something flickered in Glinda's eyes. She raised a trembling hand and, ever so slowly, eased the hat off Elphaba's head.

"You can't stay."

"I can't stay."

"But you're here."

Elphaba said nothing. She leaned to the side and set her broom on Glinda's bed, her eyes never leaving the blonde's face. When she straightened again, her chest nearly brushed against Glinda's.

"I'm here."

Glinda let the hat fall from her fingers. It felt, suddenly, as if Elphaba had never left. As if the entire semester had been a dream.

And it also felt as if she wasn't there. Maybe she never had been.

Glinda's mind spun. Her knees shook beneath her and she felt herself swaying dangerously. The room blurred out of focus until the only thing she could see was the green swimming in front of her. "Elphie," she breathed.

Then everything went dark.


	15. Chapter 15

Glinda woke to the feeling of warmth—encasing her, protecting her. A strong arm was wrapped securely around her, holding her against a thin body. Fingers stroked through her hair and soft, even breath tickled her ear.

She opened her eyes. The lamp between the beds was on, bathing the left side of her vision in dim, flickering light. The right side of her vision was green.

She turned to face Elphaba. The green girl tried to smile, but it ended up as a grimace.

"Please tell me fainting hasn't become a past time of yours."

Glinda brought a hand up to rub her eyes. "N-no. That was the only time, I promise."

Elphaba continued playing with her hair, saying nothing. Glinda shivered and felt herself being hugged closer.

"How long was I…?"

"Only a few minutes."

"What are you _doing_ here?" Glinda's voice was soft. She reached up and traced the side of Elphaba's face. "Where have you been?"

Elphaba's eyes hardened. "I…"

"You're shutting me out." She let her hand fall.

"Glinda…"

"No. We've been through too much for this. You can't just come here and not tell me where in _Oz_ you've been all this time." Her voice was hard, even if it never rose much above a whisper.

Elphaba shifted, moving back, though her arm stayed wrapped around Glinda. "I can't. Please, my sweet, you have to—"

"Trust you." Glinda pulled away and sat up, facing the other side of the room. "I know."

Elphaba sat up next to her. "I'm sorry."

"Do you have any idea how _furious_ I am with you?" Glinda didn't wait for an answer. "Do you realize how much it hurt, to just come back one day and find out that you decided to leave? You leftme. You didn't give me a choice. Oz, you didn't even give me a _warning_ , you just left."

"I'm so sorry."

"Do you know how much that hurt? Do you have _any clue_ how much I've missed you?" The words were still hushed, but her voice was shaking now. She was surprised Elphaba could even understand her.

"Yes." Elphaba swallowed hard. "I do. Oz, I swear I do."

Glinda turned to face her. " _Damn_ you, Elphaba."

And then she was kissing her. Elphaba breathed in sharply, but Glinda didn't stop. She pressed her back against the wall and wrapped her arms around her possessively.

Elphaba bit back a whimper and held Glinda closer. "I'm so sorry," she breathed between kisses. "I love you. I'm so sorry."

Glinda pulled back, holding Elphaba's face in her hands. "Are you okay?" she asked. Every trace of anger had faded from her voice. "You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

Elphaba's cheeks flushed a darker green. "I'm fine. I—" Before she could even finish, Glinda was kissing her again.

She sat up taller and pulled Glinda onto her lap. Slowly, her fingers pulled at the bottom of Glinda's sweater. She paused, suddenly unsure of…well, everything. Glinda reached down and covered one of her hands.

"I love you," Glinda whispered, bumping their foreheads together.

Elphaba swallowed. "I love you. I never wanted to hurt you. I just want you to be safe. I—"

"I know." Glinda kissed her lightly. "Elphie, please. I've missed you so much." Her fingers drifted down to Elphaba's neck. Ever so gently, she untied the worn black scarf. Glinda ran the material between her fingers and looked up at her. "You still wear it," she whispered.

It was the smile that got Elphaba—the affection shining in her eyes, the sweetness that was almost too painful to bear. She took Glinda's sweater and lifted it quickly over her head, tossing it to the side even as she lowered her to the bed.

Glinda let herself fall back. For a moment, she paused to wonder about what was happening. Should they talk? She wanted to talk. She wanted to know every little thing that had happened to Elphaba in the last few months. But she also wanted to be as close to Elphaba as possible, to lose herself completely in the sight, the sound, the feel, the smell of her. And since Elphaba clearly wasn't going to tell her anything…

She ran her hands over Elphie, trying to undo her frock and pull her closer at the same time. She wasn't too successful, though, and after a minute or so Elphaba pulled back to do it herself. Glinda pouted at the loss of contact, but Elphie just chuckled.

"Oz, I missed that look," she said, slipping out of her clothes and tossing them to the side.

"Is that all you missed?" Glinda asked innocently.

Elphaba lowered herself once more. "No," she breathed, threading a hand through Glinda's hair. "Not even close."

Glinda arched her back and whispered her name. Elphaba felt heat pulse through her. She tilted her head, looking for just the right angle, then kissed Glinda, hard, pressing her into the mattress. Glinda moaned, but it was swallowed by the kiss. Elphaba pulled back with a smirk that made her heart swell. She reached up and traced her hand over Elphaba's face, letting it rest on her cheek.

"Elphie…"

Elphaba stared at her, eyes smoldering. Her hands moved carefully up her body, and soon Glinda's eyes fluttered shut as she was lost to the sensation. Elphaba ran her fingers over Glinda, slow and purposeful, her lips tracing almost desperately over every piece of skin she could reach. The care, the tenderness, the _intensity_ —it all made Glinda's head spin.

 _I can't stay._

Glinda gasped, her fingers tensing against Elphaba's cheek. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she sucked in a breath and forced herself to ask what she already knew the answer to.

"This…doesn't last, does it? This is all we get."

Elphaba froze, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't meet Glinda's eyes, but she lowered her head until it rested over her heart.

"I love you," she whispered. "Please, never doubt that."

"I don't," Glinda breathed back. "But…that doesn't change anything."

Elphaba's fingers gripped her tighter, and Glinda could have sworn she heard a tiny sob.

If there was anything left unbroken inside her before, it was now shattered. She wrapped her arms around her and gently flipped them over so she was on top, her body covering Elphaba's.

"I love you, too," she said, kissing across her face. "It doesn't matter what happens tomorrow. You're here now."

Neither of them really believed it, but Glinda ran her lips over Elphaba's jaw, working her way down, and her hand crept to the inside of her thighs, and the sound of Elphie's gasp made it easy to forget about everything else. So Glinda held her and kissed her and touched her, drawing out as many of those precious sounds as she could, and for a while she could believe that the night would never end.

Eventually they ended up curled together beneath the blanket. Glinda tangled their legs together and scooted forward so she was pressed into Elphie's chest, making it impossible to slip away. Elphaba wrapped an arm around her and hummed a little, content. Glinda smiled softly and rubbed her eyes.

Elphaba pressed her lips to Glinda's forehead. "It's late," she murmured.

"I'm not tired."

"You're exhausted."

Glinda grinned sheepishly up at her, but then she sighed and burrowed her face into Elphaba's shoulder. "I don't want to sleep."

"Why not?" Elphaba cradled the back of her head.

"I'm afraid if I close my eyes, you'll disappear again."

"Oh, my sweet." Elphaba pulled her closer, holding her so tight her arm shook. "Sleep now. I promise, I'll be here in the morning."

Glinda nodded as best as she could. She breathed in, noticing the smell of pinewood and parchment—not faded and stale, like it had been for months now, but fresh, straight from Elphaba herself.

She smiled and closed her eyes. Finally, she was home.

* * *

Elphaba woke to the sound of rain. It was only rain, and a quick glance at her watch on the table told her it was just before dawn, so Glinda was still curled peacefully beside her. Elphaba lifted her head a little and stared outside. She wondered how anyone could find the gentle patter of water against the window calming. To her, it was just unnerving.

"Elphie?" Glinda's voice was sleepy.

She continued to look at the window, but she brushed a lock of Glinda's hair back. "I'm here."

Something in her voice must have been off, because Glinda blinked awake and looked up. "What is it?" She turned to follow her gaze out the window. Elphaba scooted forward, closing the gap between Glinda's back and her chest.

"The rain," she said softly. "It's just…awfully convenient."

Glinda rubbed Elphaba's arm. "It's not her. It's been storming all week."

"I don't like it."

"It's not her. Trust me, Elphie."

There was a brief, tense silence, and then Elphaba sighed and relaxed into Glinda. "I do. I trust you."

Glinda wrapped her fingers around Elphaba's. "You're thinking about leaving."

"Not yet," Elphaba said slowly.

"But you'll have to eventually."

"Yeah."

Glinda's grip on her hand tightened. "Stay the weekend," she whispered.

"Glinda, I don't know if—"

"Elphie. Please."

Elphaba hesitated, thinking. _Take your time,_ Peric had told her _._ "Okay," she said finally. "But, what about you? You can't stay holed up in the room all weekend. People will wonder where you are."

"Well…"

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. Glinda swallowed, feeling her cheeks heat up. "It might not actually be, um, that unusual, if I stay in the room. I mean…"

Elphaba sat up a little, frowning down at her. "Glinda? What have you been doing this semester?"

"Classes." Glinda was beginning to squirm, but Elphaba held her tighter and waited. "Sometimes I study with Boq, or hang out with the boys."

"That's all?" Elphaba grabbed her shoulder, turning Glinda back around so they were facing each other.

"I've been better lately," she argued, looking away. "Over the summer I almost never—" She cut off, biting her lip.

Elphaba grabbed her chin and tilted her face back up so their eyes met. "You've been going to classes? Taking care of yourself? You're still getting enough sleep, you're eating enough?" Glinda nodded, but her eyes darted down. "Glinda. Don't lie to me."

"I have been," she argued, pushing Elphaba's hand away. "Mostly. I just—"

" _Glinda_."

"I'm getting better!"

"You never leave the room!"

"It's _hard_." Glinda finally met her gaze and held it, and this time there was a flash of anger in her eyes. Elphaba shut up. "It's _hard_ to wake up and remember that half the room is empty. It's _hard_ walking around campus and going to my classes like nothing ever happened. Facing Morrible every day, remembering that she's the reason why everything bad last year happened. And Nikidik, and Pfannee and her gang—seeing them, listening to their taunts, because they won, and they know it! It _hurts_ to go to class or the library or _anywhere_ without you by my side, because Shiz was a nightmare last year but at least it brought us together! But now you're gone so sometimes it's just easier to stay here. Yes, it's probably unhealthy and yes, the boys have tried to drag me back out, but you're not out there. You're not in here, either, but here you're not entirely gone and sometimes it still smells like you and—"

Glinda clapped her hand over her mouth, suddenly aware of how much she had said. Her cheeks burned and already her eyes stung. She sat up, turning her back on Elphaba, and tried to stop her shoulders from shaking.

For a moment, all Elphaba could do was stare. She blinked hard, then forced herself to sit up, pulling the blanket around her shoulders as she did so. "Glinda," she breathed. "Oh Oz, Glinda, what have I done to you?"

Glinda took a shaky breath. "You made me fall in love with you, you terrible mean thing."

Elphaba scooted forward and wrapped her arms around Glinda. After a moment of reluctance Glinda gave in, letting Elphaba pull her onto her lap and wrap the blanket around both of them. Elphaba wiped Glinda's eyes with a corner of the blanket, then tucked her head into her shoulder.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Elphaba said softly. She rubbed circles across Glinda's back, warm and slow. "If I had any idea how much you were going to suffer…"

 _You don't know the half of it,_ Glinda thought, thinking of her magic and her sessions with Morrible. Instead, she said, "There was no way you could have known. Even if you had, you would have done the same thing."

Elphaba tensed, and Glinda didn't have to look up to see the hurt flash, ever so briefly, across her face. "No," she whispered. "I only wanted to protect you."

"You want to protect Oz." Glinda pulled back just far enough to look up at her. "You left so you could continue what you started and fight against the Wizard. Protecting me—and Boq and Fiyero and Crope and Tibbett—was part of it, sure, but there was more to it than that. There was always more."

Elphaba searched her face, helpless. "I never imagined it would hurt you this much."

"It's not your fault." Glinda looked down. She leaned her head against Elphaba's shoulder and fiddled with a corner of the blanket.

"I knew it would tear me apart," Elphaba said, almost to herself. "I was terrified. I knew that leaving Shiz—leaving _you_ —would be the hardest thing I ever had to do. I missed you every moment. I thought of you every single day. I couldn't sleep. I would have…well, not dreams, really, but I would see you. I would hear you call my name and jolt awake, _certain_ that you were in the room. That's why P—my friend, told me to go see you, but I was afraid. I didn't want to put you in any more danger than I already had. And I didn't know that you…that any of this…"

"But you're here now," Glinda breathed.

Suddenly Elphaba was back in the Emerald City, on the bank's rooftop, listening to the Wizard and his threats. She shivered, pulling Glinda closer. "I'm here now."

Glinda took a deep breath. "You know what the difference is, don't you?" Her voice was quiet, almost dangerously so. "You had a choice. You made the decision to leave, and everything that happened after was a product of that."

"I know."

"I didn't get that choice. You made it for me."

"I couldn't stay here," she whispered, desperate. "I couldn't keep putting you in danger. If something happened to you—"

"A lot happened to me." Glinda's voice was hard. She sighed and looked up at Elphaba, softening. "I would have gone with you. If you had asked, I would have said yes in a heartbeat."

When she had first started Dillamond's research, Elphaba had wondered—agonized over it, even—what Glinda would do if she found out about everything. She had spent so many nights staring across the room at Glinda's sleeping form, silently asking. Would she run away from it all? Or would she, by some miracle, choose to stay at Elphaba's side?

Now, a year later, the question was answered, and all Elphaba could do was shake her head.

"No," she said. "I never would have let you."

Glinda opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say died on her lips. Elphaba shifted, nudging Glinda up until their heights were almost even. Glinda continued looking off to the side, but Elphaba tilted her head down until their foreheads bumped against each other.

"I know I've hurt you, and I—I am _so sorry_. I don't know if I can ever…" She trailed off, took a breath, tried again. "I'm sorry. But you're right. I want to fight the Wizard. I want to protect Oz, to make it a better place—not just for the Animals or the Munchkins or whoever, but for you, too. So you never have to live like you did last spring. And this is something…I don't think I could stop fighting for this, even if I wanted to."

"I know you couldn't." Glinda cupped her cheek and met her eyes. "It's part of why I love you."

"But it hurts you. It hurts us."

"Why did you come back?" Glinda asked.

"To protect you. To make sure you were alright." Elphaba's brow furrowed. Those reasons weren't wrong, but they weren't right either. "Because I miss you. Because…because I still love you."

 _That_ was right. Apparently Glinda thought so too, because she tilted Elphaba's head back and kissed her deeply. Elphaba held her waist. She stroked her thumb gently, soothingly, across Glinda's skin.

"It's still early," Elphie whispered when they broke apart. "Come back to sleep?"

Glinda brushed her hair back and kissed her lightly. "Okay."

They shifted and lay down on the bed, facing each other. Glinda traced her fingers over Elphaba's cheeks, her jaw, her neck, her collarbone. Elphaba drew small, soft swirls across Glinda's shoulders and back. Outside, the rain sighed softly against the window. Elphaba wondered when, if, they would ever be like this again.

"It's okay," Glinda whispered, capturing her attention again. She kissed her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her lips. "Whatever you're thinking, it's okay. We're okay."

Elphaba met her eyes and did her best to memorize their color. "I love you."

"I love you," said Glinda. "Sleep, Elphie."

"You too, okay?" She kissed Glinda's forehead, both of their eyes fluttering shut. Glinda groped for her hand beneath the blanket and intertwined their fingers. Almost subconsciously, both girls curled even closer. They were asleep within the minute.

* * *

They woke again around noon, and this time the rain had cleared, leaving the bright winter sun to shine through their window. Glinda sighed and snuggled closer to Elphaba, but she kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. Elphaba gladly let her, and she spent the next half hour simply watching her, gently brushing her hair back, caressing her cheek or her hip.

"I can feel that, you know," Glinda mumbled eventually.

Elphaba grinned. "That's kind of the point."

"Are you trying to wake me up?"

"You're already awake."

"Shh. No I'm not."

Elphaba leaned forward and pressed her lips to Glinda's temple. "Okay. You're not."

Her eyes stayed closed, but Glinda smiled and leaned into the touch. "It's been a long time since I've woken up feeling this good."

"Me too," Elphie murmured. "Of course, it's past midday. So that might be part of it."

Glinda laughed quietly. "If sleeping half the day away was part of it, this semester would have been a lot easier."

Elphaba frowned a little and ran her fingers through Glinda's hair. "So, tell me about Shiz," she said after a moment or two. "How are the boys?"

"Alright." Glinda thought about it. "They miss you. They worry about me. They worry about Boq, too."

"Boq?"

"He's been so stressed lately. He's afraid he'll have to leave Shiz."

Elphaba scowled. "Because of the bans the Wizard is passing."

"Yes."

"I was at Colwen Grounds, toward the end of summer. My grandfather is furious with the Wizard."

"Is there nothing he can do?"

"I don't know." Elphaba sighed. "He's trying, but… When I left, he told me there was a lot the Eminent Thropp couldn't do. He knew what I was doing, what I am doing. I think he was trying to tell me how limited he was, and how much he couldn't do, legally."

"What about Nessa?" Glinda asked. "How does she play into all of this?"

"She's training to be the next Eminent. Our grandfather will teach her as much as he can, but..." She trailed off, and Glinda rubbed between her shoulder blades, encouraging her. "We're not sure he has a lot of time left," Elphaba said. "He's getting old. His health is failing. If he dies, then Nessa gets stuck with all of this."

"You're worried about her."

"She's so young. The Wizard could easily take advantage of that fact. She won't stand a chance."

Glinda looked thoughtful for a moment. "She's related to you. I think she stands a chance."

"But for how long?" Elphaba shook her head. "Anyway. Boq. He might have to leave?"

Glinda didn't know if she should press the subject or not. "His family's farm is struggling," she said finally. "He still works at the library and sends money home, and he's been researching agriculture and finances, in case he does have to leave. He keeps putting off declaring his specialty, too."

Elphaba's brow furrowed. "I thought he'd study history, or life science."

"He wants to study both, but he's afraid. If he does have to go home, he wants to study something useful. And even if he doesn't, with all the bans, it's becoming harder and harder for a Munchkin to get jobs. What would he do, if he's not allowed to teach or conduct research?"

"You're worried about him."

"Of course I am," Glinda said. "I don't want to lose him, too."

Elphaba looked down, flushing a little. Glinda sighed and hugged her tighter. "Boq was devastated when you left. I mean, they all were, but…"

"Will they be worried if they don't see you all weekend?"

"Maybe, but they won't do anything. With finals getting closer, they'll probably just think I'm studying."

Elphaba shifted a little. "They can't know I'm here."

"Ever?" Glinda leaned back, studying her. "Even when I see them next week?" When Elphaba didn't respond, she shook her head. "No. No way. They miss you, Elphie. You can't just do that to them."

She flinched a little. "I can't see them. I can't risk Morrible seeing me, and they're not allowed in the dorm."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Glinda mumbled. Her cheeks heated up as Elphaba stared at her. "It's nothing, they've just…once or twice, when I…"

Elphaba sighed. "If Morrible ever finds out I was here, it'll be you she hurts."

Glinda was silent for a while. "She taunts me. Sometimes it's about you. She told me you were going to end up as a traitor of Oz."

"I probably already am."

"Elphie. What have you been _doing_?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Then at least tell me where you are." Elphaba stayed silent, but Glinda wasn't about to give up. "The Emerald City, right? And you're not alone. Not if _your friend_ kept telling you to come see me."

"Please. Don't make me lie to you."

Glinda studied her for a long moment. She was right. It wasn't much, but at least now she knew where Elphaba was. "Okay," she said finally. "But at least tell me one thing."

"What?" Elphaba asked, wary.

"Where in Oz did that broom come from?"

Elphie laughed—that same, wild cackle that Glinda loved so much. She pulled Glinda closer and kissed her hard. And when Glinda pulled back and insisted on hearing the story, Elphie told her, in between hot, urgent kisses and with as little detail as possible.

"Magic? Really? And it's kept its properties all this time?" Glinda's eyes were bright with interest. As much as Elphaba loved her scholarly side, she had other things in mind. She raised an eyebrow and smirked, watching Glinda look between her and the broom, torn.

"Oh, fine then," Glinda sighed, wrapping her hand around Elphaba's neck.

"You don't seem to be complaining."

"Shut up and kiss me."

* * *

They didn't leave the bed until a few hours later, when Elphaba's stomach grumbled and Glinda laughed so much she nearly fell onto the floor. Glinda refused to leave the room, so they sat on the floor, blankets draped around their shoulders, and split up some of the food Elphaba had packed.

"The bread's probably stale," Elphie said, watching Glinda pull food out of the bag. "The apples probably got bruised on the way here, and—"

Glinda tossed her an apple and bit into her own. "Relax, Elphie. Your rebel food tastes fine."

Elphaba snorted. "More like slum food. It's a long way down from Frottican cuisine."

"You really think that bothers me?" Glinda asked, raising an eyebrow. Elphaba seemed to struggle for a moment, and she settled for a shrug.

"Dig in, then, I guess." Elphaba bit into her own apple as Glinda rolled her eyes. "So, you never told me much about your semester."

Glinda rolled the fruit between her hands, inspecting it. "It's okay. My grades are fine, at least. Though that's probably thanks to Boq."

"You sell yourself short."

"Old habit, I suppose." Glinda smiled. "But Boq _is_ a big part of it. If I wasn't copying his history notes, Nikidik probably would have kicked me out of his class by now."

Elphaba waved her hand. "That's Nikidik. You can hardly call his lessons a class anyway. What about a specialty? Have you decided what you're going to study?"

"I'm…still thinking about it." Glinda took another bite of her apple and took her time before continuing. "I want to study architecture, but I'm not sure."

She forced herself to look up and meet Elphaba's gaze. The green girl tilted her head. "What are you not sure about? You're so good at it."

Glinda shrugged and looked back down at the fruit. "I don't know. Morrible keeps getting onto me."

Elphaba tensed. "She wants you to specialize in sorcery?"

"Yes."

"Glinda—"

"It's okay," Glinda said quickly. "I've gotten pretty good at avoiding her over the past year or so."

She tried for a smile and was rewarded with a small one in return. Glinda set her apple aside and scooted forward so her knees brushed against Elphaba's. She took her hand and looked down at their fingers.

It shouldn't be so easy, lying to Elphie, but she just didn't want her to worry. If Glinda told her the truth—about Morrible forcing her to specialize in sorcery, about the private sessions, about how she no longer had control over her magic—then she would only blame herself. Elphaba left because she wanted to protect Glinda from Morrible. Maybe it didn't work the way she wanted it to, but she didn't need to know that. And if Glinda could manage without involving Elphie, then maybe her leaving wouldn't be in vain.

Elphaba twisted her hand to stroke her thumb across Glinda's knuckles. "So, you're okay?"

Glinda stared at their fingers, pale and green, twisted around each other, until the colors seemed to blur together. She blinked a few times. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

"Good, 'cause I'm moving back to the bed." Elphie climbed to her feet, blushing when she saw the look Glinda was giving her. "Not for _that_. The floor is uncomfortable, that's all."

"Oh, is that all?"

Elphaba pulled her to her feet and starting backing up toward the bed. "Yes, that's all. I was actually going to ask you if you're still kicking butt in mathematics."

"You know I am." Glinda grabbed Elphie's shoulders and pushed her down onto the mattress. She let the blanket fall from her shoulders, then climbed up to straddle Elphaba's waist. "And _I_ was going to ask _you_ where you got that ridiculous hat."

"It's a funny story, actually. It involves a black market, a rescued Rabbit, and a tiny blonde acting as my conscience, scolding me for my poor fashion choices."

"Poor fashion choice indeed," Glinda murmured. Elphie looked like she was going to argue, but Glinda's hand was making its way down her stomach, rendering her all but speechless. In fact, it was a while before either girl said much of anything.

* * *

A storm rolled into Shiz that night, complete with thunder and lightning and wind that made the window rattle. Elphaba wrapped the blanket tightly around them and held Glinda close, rubbing her back and whispering quiet affections into her ear.

Lightning lit up the room, accompanied by a particularly violent peal of thunder, and Glinda whimpered as the room shook.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Elphaba pulled her closer, pressing their bodies together. "There's nothing to apologize for."

"With everything we've been through, you'd think a little storm wouldn't bother me anymore."

More lightning. Glinda winced, covering her ears, as the thunder crashed. Elphaba kissed her hairline.

"This isn't what I'd call a little storm, my sweet."

Glinda looked up at her, and Elphaba couldn't tell if she was scowling or pouting. "You're allergic to water. Why am I more afraid than you?"

She resisted the urge to chuckle. "We're inside. Even if the window broke, the rain couldn't reach me here. I'm safe from my fear. You, on the other hand, are afraid of the memory, not the actual storm. And no building can keep that out."

"Helpful," Glinda grumbled. Elphaba grabbed her head and tucked her back into her shoulder as thunder shook the room once again.

"Helpful or not, you're still the bravest girl I know."

"You're just lying to make me feel better."

Now Elphaba really did laugh. It was soft and gentle, and Glinda melted at the sound. "Oh, my sweet. If you only knew how I see you."

"It works both ways, you know," Glinda said, relaxing ever so slightly into her embrace.

"So I've heard." Elphaba pressed her lips to her forehead again. "You think you can sleep?"

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Hm. Stay in bed with you, or fly through a thunderstorm? It's a tough decision, really." She yelped as Glinda pinched her hip. "Now that was just unnecessary."

Glinda smiled and tilted her head up to kiss her jaw. "Good night, Elphie."

"Fresh dreams, Glinda."

It took a while for the storm to pass into the distance, and neither girl fell asleep for another hour or so, but Glinda simply snuggled into Elphie's embrace and closed her eyes. If she only focused on this moment—Elphaba holding her, protecting her—then she could almost pretend nothing had changed. She could almost believe the entire semester had been one big nightmare, and now she was back in the real world. Elphaba was still at Shiz, Morrible had never hurt them, and the only thing she had to fear was the thunder shaking their window.

Almost, of course, was the key word. But for right now, with Elphaba pressed against her and wrapped around her, almost was enough.


	16. Chapter 16

Glinda, surprisingly enough, woke up before Elphaba. She stayed still, only moving her head a little so she could look up at Elphaba. Even in sleep, the green girl was tense. Her brow was furrowed, ever so slightly, and her breathing was so still and quiet that if Glinda wasn't pressed to her chest, feeling her heartbeat, she would have wondered if it was even there.

She continued to study Elphie's face, marveling at how different she was, and yet how exactly the same. The wrinkles in her forehead and around the bridge of her nose were just a little deeper, and Glinda resisted the urge to rub her thumb across them to smooth them out. Her hair was thicker, wilder, though maybe that was just from lack of care. Glinda wanted to fix that, too. She leaned back, just enough to see Elphaba's neck and shoulders, and the hand that was tucked beneath her head. There were more burns, little patches of skin that were just slightly darker or lighter than the rest. Her hand was calloused, too. Elphaba's hands were always rougher than the rest of her, covered in little scrapes and cuts from climbing over walls and through windows after curfew, but this was different.

Glinda's first thought was that it must be from some sort of weapon—maybe Elphaba had learned how to fight—but then she looked harder. Carefully, she brought her own hand up and held it next to Elphaba's, comparing them. Those marks weren't from a physical weapon. They were from magic.

Glinda stared, disbelieving, but just then Elphaba stirred. Glinda swallowed and blinked a few times, trying for a neutral expression, and she smiled gently when Elphie's eyes opened.

"You're awake," Elphaba murmured. Glinda leaned up to kiss her brow.

"Only for a few minutes. Did you sleep okay?"

"Mm." Elphaba reached over her and checked the watch on the table. "It's mid-morning. Breakfast?"

Mid-morning. Once today was over, Elphie would be gone again. Glinda pushed the thought away. "I don't want to leave," she said.

"Good." Elphaba pulled her closer and pressed her face into Glinda's neck. "I meant from my bag."

"Do you have enough?"

"Well, since we barely ate yesterday."

Glinda smiled, satisfied. "Okay. We should probably get dressed this time, though."

She felt Elphaba's brow furrow. "Why?" It was almost a whine. Glinda giggled.

"I can't stay in bed all day again. I have homework."

Elphaba sighed and shifted. She pulled Glinda closer and rolled so she was half on top of her, trapping her. "Homework can wait," she said softly.

Glinda squirmed, just to unpin her arms and wrap them around Elphie. "It really can't," she said, offering a half-smile. "Some of us have classes tomorrow."

Elphaba pressed her lips to Glinda's jaw, just below her ear. "It can wait."

Glinda shivered. Elphaba smirked and pressed her palm to Glinda's stomach. Even after all this time, she was amazed at how soft her skin was. Her hand drifted up, cupping one breast, stroking with her thumb.

Glinda arched into her touch. "M-maybe it can wait," she whispered.

Elphaba chuckled and kissed her way down to Glinda's chest. She shifted on her elbows, moving lower, but Glinda whimpered and tangled her fingers in Elphaba's hair, stopping her.

"No." Glinda's voice was thick. "Please, I need you up here."

Elphaba rose so they were even. She held Glinda's face with one hand and kissed her lightly. Glinda dug her fingers into her scalp and Elphaba deepened the kiss, pressing her into the bed. When she finally pulled back they were both breathing hard, their chests brushing against each other. Elphaba felt heat pouring between them, and she bent down again, her mouth exploring every bit of skin she could reach. Her hand ran up and down Glinda's body, caressing from her ribs down to her thigh, back up over her stomach, her breasts, her collarbone, tangling in her hair and pulling her head back to expose the point on her neck that drove her crazy. Elphaba scraped gently with her teeth, soothed with her tongue, working the spot until Glinda was writhing beneath her.

" _Elphie_ ," came out as a strangled gasp as Elphaba moved her hand lower again, between Glinda's thighs. She lifted her head and watched Glinda's face as she stroked lightly.

"You're so beautiful," she murmured, pressing their foreheads together. She stroked again, firmly this time, and kissed Glinda softly. "I love you."

Glinda moaned and gripped Elphaba's shoulders. "I love you," she panted. "Elphie, please."

Elphaba slipped two fingers inward, grinning when Glinda cried out and dug her nails into her skin. She kissed across Glinda's face as she moved against her, pressing her lips to her cheeks, her forehead, the corner of her mouth. She relished every movement Glinda made beneath her—how she shook her head back and forth, how her feet slid against the sheets, how her hips rose to meet Elphaba's hand.

Glinda arched against her, tensing and letting out a hoarse cry. Elphaba slowed her hand and watched her face as she came down. Her eyes fluttered shut and she fell back to the bed, too tired to even think of resisting when Elphaba pulled her closer. She rolled so that Glinda lay on top of her, head resting against her chest. Elphaba pulled the blanket over them and kissed the top of Glinda's hair, her fingers drawing aimlessly across her back.

When she could speak again, Glinda murmured, "I really do have to do things today."

"I know," Elphie said softly. "But for now, just…stay with me."

* * *

It was around midday when Glinda kissed Elphie on the cheek and rolled out of bed. She grabbed a dress from her wardrobe and went into the bathroom to wash up. When she emerged a while later, Elphaba was dressed and sitting on her bed, pouring oil into her palm. Glinda immediately recognized it as the one she used on her hair. She walked forward.

"Let me."

Elphaba looked up. Glinda grabbed her hand in both of hers and wiped the oil onto her own fingers. She crawled onto the bed and settled on her knees behind Elphie. Elphaba sighed, her shoulders relaxing, as Glinda ran her fingers through her hair.

Glinda worked slowly, carefully combing through each dark tangle. She scratched gently at Elphie's scalp and massaged little circles across the back of her neck. Elphie's eyes fluttered shut and she let her head fall back into Glinda's hands, causing the blonde to giggle and press a kiss to her temple. She poured more oil into her hands and brushed Elphaba's hair back, working through it until it shined. Glinda thought about braiding it when she was done, but instead she let it fall over her shoulders, as soft and silky as she remembered.

"My Elphie," she whispered, wrapping her arms around Elphaba's neck and pressing their cheeks together.

"Always," Elphaba breathed back. Her cheeks flushed darker green and she cleared her throat. "Anyway. You, uh, had work to do?"

Glinda brushed her lips across Elphie's cheek, then rose and grabbed her bag from the floor, where it hadn't moved since she walked into the room Friday night. Elphaba scooted over to make room for her on the bed, and she settled back down, spreading her books in front of her.

The afternoon passed slow and quiet. Glinda worked through her assigned pages of math equations and skimmed through her notes to answer a few questions for life sciences. It felt like a waste of time, but if no one could know Elphaba was here, then she had to do everything normally. So Glinda did her best to finish quickly—and she probably would have, too, if it weren't for Elphaba.

The green girl started out fine. She pulled food out of her pack and set some by Glinda's knee, eating her own quietly and watching Glinda work effortlessly through her mathematics. Eventually she picked up Glinda's life science book and began flipping through it.

"Elphie," Glinda said after a while, poking her thigh. "I need that."

"No you don't."

Glinda huffed. "Fine. Then flip to the chapter on ecosystems and read it out loud."

Elphaba smirked and thumbed through to the right chapter. "Much of the natural world obeys a law of balance," she read aloud. "This chapter discusses the outward balance between predators, prey, and the environment they live in to create—"

"Alright, alright, I wasn't being serious." Glinda reached over and flipped forward a couple of pages. She stopped and traced her finger over a paragraph, mouthing to herself, then returned to her notes, writing something down. "That's all I needed."

"Happy to help."

"Whatever."

Apparently Elphaba found the exchange amusing, because for the rest of the afternoon she made a point to be a distraction for Glinda. She grabbed her hand and traced shapes across her palm and knuckles. She played with Glinda's hair, winding a lock around her finger. When Glinda wasn't looking, she grabbed whatever book or journal was closest and hid it behind her back.

Eventually Glinda snapped her notebook shut and gave her a look. "You know, you hated it when I did this to you last year."

"I didn't hate it."

"You sure complained about it a lot."

Elphaba smirked and scooted closer, wrapping her arms around Glinda's waist. "That's not the same thing. Are you done yet?"

Glinda looked down at her books. "I really should work a little bit on sorcery. Morrible assigned us our final projects."

"Finals are still a month away."

" _Still_ a month away? This time last year you would barely speak to us, you were so stressed about exams."

Elphaba's grin turned sheepish and she tucked her face into Glinda's neck. "Maybe I'm being a little hypocritical."

"Maybe," Glinda mocked, running her fingers through Elphie's hair. "I don't mind the reversal, though."

"No?"

"No. It's good to mix things up once in a while. In fact, how about this: next semester _you_ stay here and go to classes like a good little student, and _I'll_ fly around Oz on a broomstick."

Elphaba snorted. "Not a chance."

"I'm still curious about it. An enchantment that powerful shouldn't hold up very long. At least, not without damaging the object. You didn't reinforce the broom first? Or have someone else—?"

"I have no idea what I did, my sweet," Elphaba said, chuckling. She let go of Glinda and nudged her. "But go on. I know you're dying to check it out."

Glinda hopped down from the bed and went over to her own. She picked up the broom and came back, nestling into Elphaba's arms once more.

"It's incredible," she said. "There's not even a real trace of magic. There's no explanation."

"When it comes to my magic, there almost never is."

Glinda stared at the broom, looking for any flaws that would indicate wear from the spell. "Is that why you've been practicing it so much?"

"What?"

She set the broom down and reached for Elphaba's hand, holding it up and rubbing her thumb across the palm. "These calluses," she said. "They're from magic."

Elphaba stared at their hands. "I didn't even notice…"

"It leaves marks, once you start casting enough. What have you been doing?"

She shrugged. "Basic things. Moving objects around, creating fire. Once in a while I'll mend my shoes or something."

"Have you just been teaching yourself?" Glinda asked.

"I've been reading about it."

Glinda smiled. "Of course."

"But the broom was just…panic."

"Adrenaline and emotion makes magic stronger."

"Yeah." They were quiet for a while. Elphaba grabbed the broom, running her hand up and down the wood. "It's amazing, really."

"What is?"

"Flying. It's such a rush. It feels…free."

"It sounds terrifying," said Glinda. "Especially on that dusty old thing."

Elphaba chuckled. "It hasn't let me down so far."

"That's good, because if it ever does, it's a _long_ way down."

"Funny, my sweet. Very funny."

Glinda turned her head to press a kiss to Elphaba's jaw. "I do try."

* * *

Later, after they had eaten dinner and the light outside the window was fading, Glinda stood and stretched and cleared off the bed. She tossed the broom back onto her own bed, then took her books to her desk, sliding what she needed for the next morning into her bag and neatly stacking the rest.

She thought about how normal it felt: winding down for the night, preparing for tomorrow's classes, Elphaba sitting in the bed, waiting for her to crawl in beside her. Glinda grabbed a nightgown from her wardrobe and began changing, allowing herself, for just one moment, to pretend.

She imagined walking to classes tomorrow, Elphaba at her side. The new students this year would have gotten used to the green a while ago, and now they could just enjoy the brisk morning air together. They'd sit next to each other in the back of the classrooms. Nikidik would be arrogant, but he was no match for both of them. Morrible would still be terrible, but at the end of her class Elphaba would be waiting outside the sorcery building, and together they'd meet the boys for dinner. And Boq or Fiyero would debate something with her, and Crope and Tibbett would flirt and joke, and Glinda would hold her hand under the table. And when the day was done they'd come back and do homework, cuddling and talking and it would all be so simple, so easy. They shared each other's space and lives and hearts so naturally.

Why couldn't they anymore?

Glinda shook her head. It wouldn't happen. Elphaba's visit came with a time limit—she had known that from the moment she stepped into the room two nights ago. And yet, Glinda couldn't help but wonder. Did they really have to be apart?

She paused at her desk and glanced sideways at Elphaba, who was packing her bag to leave in the morning. Could they share each other's space and lives and hearts somewhere else? Would it really matter, so long as they're together?

Glinda looked down at the books stacked in front of her and asked, quietly, "Elphie? Why didn't you ask me to go with you?"

Even she could hear the trepidation in her voice. There was a long pause, and Glinda didn't dare glance across the room at her. Finally, Elphaba sighed.

"The same reason I left. To protect you."

"What if I hadn't waited for you to ask? What if I just followed you?"

"I wouldn't have let you."

"And now?"

Silence. Glinda screwed her eyes shut, waiting. When nothing happened, she took a breath and forced herself to turn around. Elphaba was just staring at her, helpless.

"Now?" Glinda asked again. "If I followed you now, what would you do?"

"Glinda…"

She took a cautious step forward, holding Elphie's eyes. "What would you do?"

"Don't ask me that. Please."

"I'd follow you." Glinda had moved to the edge of the bed, and she stood in front of Elphaba, for once the taller one.

"No."

She reached out, brushing Elphaba's hair back. "I would. I'd leave Shiz and go with you. I'd go anywhere you asked."

Elphaba closed her eyes. "I wouldn't ask."

"You don't have to."

"Glinda." Elphaba caught her hand, pushing it away so it hovered inches from her face. "No."

"I'd go with you."

" _No._ " Her voice was hard. "I can't ask you to come with me."

Glinda blinked, her brow furrowing, and took her hand back. "You're not asking. I'm telling you."

"You can't come with me. I won't let you."

"You won't…" Glinda pressed her lips together, breathing through her nose. "Why?" The question was little more than a rasp.

"You know why."

Elphaba started to wrap her arms around Glinda's waist, but she pushed them away and stepped back.

"So you're leaving me instead. You're leaving me, _again_ , to stay at this stupid school and keep my head down while Morrible tries to control my life, while you—"

"I don't _want_ to leave you. Glinda, please, I _never_ wanted to—"

"But you did! You left, and you're leaving again, all because you think you have to do everything yourself. You have to go be a hero, and you don't trust me enough to—"

"I trust you!" Elphaba jumped to her feet, but Glinda only retreated further away. "And it's not about trust, it's about protecting you."

"Yes, because Shiz is _so_ safe."

Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest. "It's safer than where I am."

"And where are you?" Glinda challenged. "What are you doing? If you trust me, why can't I know? Why can't I be with you?"

"You could get hurt. If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

Glinda glared. "I can take care of myself."

"I know that, but this isn't about you. Don't you get it? This is a _war_ I'm fighting." Elphaba rubbed her forehead and started pacing, turning sharply every couple of steps. "The Animals, the Munchkins, the Wizard—they're fighting, all of them. This isn't just some dangerous research. This isn't sneaking in and out of libraries. It is _so much more_ than that."

Glinda watched her. "So you're trying to keep me away from it. But what happens when this _war_ reaches the rest of Oz? How do you plan to protect me then?"

Elphaba had no answer. Instead, she stopped and scowled at the floor, muttering, "You're not coming with me."

"Has it ever occurred to you that this is _my_ choice?"

"Try to follow me, then," Elphaba said snidely, still looking away. "What will you do, run below the broom?"

"Don't be cruel."

"Do you think you can fit all your shoes into one bag? Because you know, you can't take your entire wardrobe around with you."

"Elphie—"

"What will you do when all of Oz thinks you're a traitor? How will you manage that, when you couldn't even handle a couple girls gossiping about you?"

" _Fine_!" Glinda shouted. "If you don't want me with you, then _go_."

Elphaba faced her again, regret and pain mixing in her eyes. She reached out. "Glinda—"

"Just go." Glinda turned away, starting for her own bed, but then she froze. Her sheets were dusty and untouched, and on top of them was the broom, ready to take Elphaba away from her again. She felt her whole body start to tremble, and with a sob, she collapsed to the floor.

Elphaba was with her in an instant. Glinda fought the arms that wrapped around her, but only for a moment. She gave in with another cry, letting Elphaba pull her close and hold her tight.

"Please," Elphaba whispered. "Don't do this."

 _You did this,_ Glinda thought, even as she clung to Elphie. "You're going to leave," she said.

"In the morning," said Elphaba. "Tonight, just…"

"What does it matter?" Glinda asked. She swallowed back another cry and pressed her face into Elphaba's shoulder. "You're going to leave, and then what? What happens to us?"

Elphaba searched desperately for something— _anything_ —to say, but she had nothing. She held the back of Glinda's head and swallowed past the lump in her throat long enough to whisper, "Come to bed. Please."

Glinda took a ragged breath. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Tonight is all I have to offer." Elphaba bent her head so her forehead rested on Glinda's shoulder and their cheeks brushed together. She ignored the sting of Glinda's tears and went on. "Tonight is all we have. I want to make the most of it."

"How?" Glinda breathed.

"Just…come to bed." She pulled Glinda's arms around her shoulders and grabbed her waist, lifting them both to their feet. She moved to the bed and eased Glinda onto it, then crawled over her and pulled the blanket over them. "Let me hold you."

Glinda blinked hard and wiped her cheeks. Elphaba wrapped an arm around her and pulled their bodies together. She slid her leg between Glinda's and kissed her forehead.

"In the morning," Glinda breathed, "don't you dare leave without saying goodbye."

"I won't," Elphaba promised. "I love you. More than anything."

Glinda screwed her eyes shut and breathed her in. "I love you, too."

* * *

Elphaba woke before dawn and immediately closed her eyes again. She didn't want to move. Not when Glinda was so soft and warm and peaceful against her. She had thought leaving was hard the first time.

But the sun would be rising soon, and she had to leave while it was still dark. She forced herself to slip out of Glinda's arms. Glinda whimpered, and Elphaba paused to cup her face, stroking across her cheek until her eyes fluttered open.

"It's okay," Elphaba breathed. "I'm just getting dressed."

Glinda grabbed her hand and squeezed, hard, but she let her go. Elphaba quickly braided her hair and pulled on her shoes and cloak. She could feel Glinda's eyes on her as she wrapped Ama Clutch's scarf around her neck. She reached for her bag, but Glinda's hand caught hers and turned her around.

Glinda took her face and kissed her, full and sweet and desperate enough to justify the small, pleading noise that escaped one of them. When they parted, Glinda stumbled back until she hit the bed, then fell onto it. Her cheeks were wet, but she made no sound. She simply watched as Elphaba put on her bag and hat and grabbed the broom.

She went to the window and pushed it open, and when she turned back their eyes met. Elphaba wanted to say something—no, she wanted to say _everything_ —but there were no words, so she ducked her head and turned away, disappearing into the still-dark morning.


	17. Chapter 17

Insecurities have a funny way of building on each other, leading to one another, blurring together until what was once a small cloud of thought leads to a raging, never-ending storm.

Glinda sat on the bed and stared out the window, watching the sky turn from black to blue to the pale, dreary gray that lingered over Shiz lately. She stared until all the tears had run out and her eyes felt heavy. She stayed there, unmoving, until her body didn't even feel like hers anymore.

She was broken, but she could deal with broken. She was angry, but she could deal with angry. Everything she had gone through, all the pain she had felt these past few months, she could sit through and sort out, if she had the courage. It hurt, but at least she knew where it was coming from. At least she knew who to blame.

But now? Now Elphaba had left her again, and Glinda wasn't sure who was at fault anymore. Surely it was still Morrible, with her glinting eyes and haughty expression every time she looked at her. Surely it was the stubborn, protective part of Elphaba that refused to put her in danger, no matter how much Glinda longed to stay at her side. Perhaps it was even the Wizard's fault, for throwing Oz into such chaos that they got swept into it.

But was that really it? Was it all just circumstances beyond her control? Or did she, Glinda, also carry the blame? Did she do something to push Elphaba away? Could she have somehow prevented the events of last spring from spiraling so far beyond their control that they ended up here, separated and heartbroken?

And then, the most daunting question of all: was Glinda just not good enough?

It wouldn't have been the first time. She thought of last year, when she had tried to befriend Elphaba while keeping her old friends, only to fail epically. Then she thought back earlier, to all the time spent alone in a quiet, empty house because her parents were always too busy. Was the truth of it all—then, now, always—that Glinda was to blame?

What would have been different, if Glinda was just a little stronger? If she was braver, or smarter, or even more stubborn, what could she have changed? What could she have stopped? If she was something more than a pretty girl in a dress, would Elphaba want her at her side?

Glinda felt sick suddenly. She hugged her waist and doubled over, gasping for breath. She had always feared not being good enough for Elphie. She wasn't a good enough friend. She wasn't smart enough to help with Dillamond's research. She wasn't strong enough to protect her from Morrible. And when it came down to it, when Elphaba decided that Shiz wasn't her home anymore, Glinda wasn't enough to convince her otherwise.

Somewhere in the distance, she heard the bell tower chime the hour. Glinda wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and bury herself in Elphaba's covers, but she knew better. If she didn't show up to her classes, if someone got suspicious, if Madame Morrible found out _anything_ …

So, she pulled herself together. She stumbled to the bathroom and splashed water over her face until she could no longer feel the dried tears. She picked out a nice dress and matching heels and avoided her eyes in the mirror as she brushed through her hair until it shone. She even dabbed some makeup on, though she couldn't bring herself to put on perfume. She could still smell Elphaba on herself.

When it was time, Glinda forced herself to shoulder her bag and trudge across campus to her mathematics class. The boys were waiting for her at the back of the classroom, and they all stared as she took the seat between Boq and Fiyero.

"Where were you?" Boq asked. "We didn't see you all weekend."

"In my room," she said. "Where else?"

"We were worried about you," Fiyero mumbled.

"You're always worried about me." Glinda avoided their gazes and pulled out her books. Their professor walked in a moment later, allowing her to ignore the boys for the rest of the period.

An hour later the bell tower chimed, ending the period. Fiyero, Crope, and Tibbett gave her concerned looks, but they reluctantly left to head across campus for their next class. Boq stayed with her, and together they headed for their life sciences class. Glinda could feel his eyes on her the whole way there, even as they took their usual seats against the back wall. She sank into her chair and sighed.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"You look different. You look…"

Glinda crossed her arms and scowled at the table. "Better? Worse?"

"Both." Boq shook his head. "If that's possible. What happened this weekend?"

She grit her teeth. "Nothing."

He hesitated, continuing to study her. "If something did happen…you wouldn't be able to tell us, would you?"

"No," she said quietly, shaking her head. "Of course not."

"Did you see her? Was she here?"

Glinda looked at him helplessly. She couldn't tell him anything, and he knew it. Not that it mattered—the tears in her eyes were answer enough. Boq covered her hand.

"It's okay," he said, turning back to his books. "I'll make sure the others back off."

Glinda nodded and looked away. Their professor entered the room with a cheery "Good morning, class," and Glinda settled into her notes, once again ignoring Boq.

Where was Elphaba now? It had only been a few hours since she had vanished out her window. Was she still flying over Oz, or was she already back at the Emerald City? What was waiting for her there? What would she do when she returned?

What would Glinda do now? Seeing Elphie again had been so surreal. Boq was right—she was better, and she was worse. Better because she knew Elphaba was alive. She was in the Emerald City, and no matter what dangers she was putting herself into, at least she had found a place there.

She was worse, though, because she had no idea what happened next. Her thoughts from this morning returned. Was it her fault? Was there something more she could have done? Glinda quickly shook her head, blinking hard. She couldn't think about that. Not right now. Boq turned his head toward her.

"Glinda?"

"I'm fine." She wasn't fine. She was tired and scared. When Elphaba had left last spring, Glinda had been devastated. She had been desperate and confused and so, so hurt. Now all those feelings were back, maybe even worse than before. But she avoided Boq's gaze, sure that if she met his eyes she would lose it completely, and after a moment he looked away, focusing once more on his notes.

Glinda tried to follow suit, but she was tired. She thought of Nikidik's class this afternoon, followed by the hours she would spend with Morrible. Oz, she was so tired. She felt as though she had been fighting for months, and she didn't think she could anymore. She wasn't even sure she wanted to.

* * *

The week passed painfully slow for Glinda. She endured her classes with her head down and her mouth shut. When Nikidik asked her a question, she just shook her head and stared quietly down at her notes. During her sessions with Morrible, she was all but useless. She couldn't summon the energy to cast simple spells, let alone the exercises Morrible was forcing her to do. She was quiet, too, whenever she ate with the boys. In fact, the only person she really talked to was Boq, and that was only during their hours spent holed up in some corner of the library.

As the days crawled by, Glinda buried herself in her studies, especially her sorcery project. Knowing Morrible didn't approve made it easier to work on, and it soon became her favorite past time. Every day, as soon as her other assignments were completed, Glinda would pull out her sorcery book and begin digging almost eagerly through it. If she was in the library, she would wander around plucking books from their shelves, spreading them across the table until she was nearly buried in texts.

The first time this happened, Boq had been more than a little concerned, especially after he noticed they were all sorcery books.

"Is Morrible making you do all this?" he had asked, horrified.

Glinda smiled, tucking a leg beneath her to sit taller and see better. "Not really. We have to do independent research for our final."

"So she _is_ making you do it."

"Yes, but I'm studying healing spells, which she hates."

Boq had tilted his head. "She hates healing magic? Why?"

"She said it was beneath her, or something like that." Glinda had waved her hand dismissively. "She probably just struggles with it, honestly."

"So, that's what you chose to research."

Glinda shrugged. "It seemed like the right topic."

Boq had proved useful as she delved further into the research. Understanding the body was essential in healing it, and for that she needed life sciences. When she struggled with learning how to mend and reset bones, Boq brought her a book on the structure and composition of the skeleton. When she was studying spells that dealt with internal damage, Boq let her borrow his notes on the organs and their structures.

Today, though, she was studying the risks and side effects of spells, and no amount of Boq's knowledge was going to help her. It wasn't difficult, really, but it was a lot to remember. A spell to stop internal bleeding could accidentally cause clotting in the blood. One wrong move in a charm to heal bones could set them wrong and cause even more pain and permanent damage. Spells that dealt with head injuries listed more fatal risks than actual remedies.

Glinda groaned and let her head fall to the table. She heard Boq chuckling from his seat on the other side.

"What's the topic today?" he asked.

"Risks and side effects," she mumbled. She sat up and looked at him. "Did you know there are twenty-four different ways to mess up a muscle repairing spell?"

"Only twenty-four?"

She gave him a look. "And even if the spell is perfect, there are still dozens of side effects. The skin around it can be discolored, the muscle can have random spurts of strength, the patient can experience feelings of hunger, nausea, dizziness, invincibility, or basically anything else over the weeks following the spell. And then of course there's the issue of having magic _in_ the body, which has unexplainable, unpredictable results and can't be avoided with any spell and—"

"You're losing me, Glinda."

She stopped, realizing how fast she had been talking. "Sorry."

Boq gave her a small smile and shut his own notebook. "It's okay. I'm getting bored of math anyway. Want to talk me through it?"

It was a habit of theirs, when either of them were stuck in their homework. They would talk through the subject out loud, and the other would either listen patiently or ignore them and keep working. It didn't matter. Somehow vocalizing their studies made it easier. Glinda had first learned that with Elphaba.

"It's not hard," she said. "There's just a lot to remember."

"Sounds like it," said Boq. "What did you say about magic in the body? I'm curious."

Glinda shifted in her seat, curling her legs beneath her. "Well, obviously when you cast a spell, magic is released. For most spells it doesn't matter, because it's released into the air and dissipates, but with healing spells, the magic is released into the body, which can cause problems."

"I don't understand," Boq said. "You've said before that all living things are capable of performing magic. Doesn't that mean they already contain it?"

"Like I said, it's unexplainable. My guess is that innate magic isn't an issue because it belongs to the body. When it's someone else's spell, though, the magic is foreign. Sometimes it's fine, but other times the body rejects it."

"How?"

"It depends. Sometimes the effects of the spell just wear off, sometimes they grow more powerful. Maybe the person gets sick, or they start casting magic themselves, which is probably the body's way of trying to get rid of energy it's not used to."

"What do you think causes it?" Boq asked.

"I don't know. Maybe…" Glinda looked down at her notes, then back up at him. "Magic is tied to emotion. It's energy, and it's inseparable from the soul, which is why it can never be an exact science. Maybe it has to do with the two people. If the caster and the patient care for each other, then their energies would be a better match and the magic would take easier. But if they're strangers or they don't like each other or something, then their energies would resist each other, causing the magic to be rejected."

"So, if you cast a spell on me, it'd be okay. But if you cast one on Morrible, she'd probably die?"

Glinda giggled. "Exactly. But it's just a theory. It might also have to do with the recipient's knowledge and opinion of magic. The more you use or understand magic, the better luck you'll have. I'm guessing."

"Oh. I take it back, then. You shouldn't cast a healing spell on me."

"You don't trust magic?"

Boq looked at the books scattered across her side of the table. "I have no interest in it. But if there ever was a good use for sorcery, it would definitely be healing."

"I could teach you. A spell to treat surface wounds is easy."

Boq laughed. "No way," he said, shaking his head. "Magic is _definitely_ not my thing."

"I don't know. I think you could look into it," Glinda mused. "Maybe sorcery could help the farms in Munchkinland. Weather manipulation is almost its own field of magic. And I'm sure there are enchantments to fertilize soil or keep pests away. You could use spells to build and repair things, lift and move heavy objects, you could—"

"That's all great," Boq said, "But the farms themselves are only half the problem. The Munchkinlanders need jobs—jobs that aren't a mere step above slave labor in the Emerald City—and magic would take that away."

Glinda was quiet for a moment, thinking. "There could be a balance. With enchantments for the weather and soil, there could be more crops, which would mean more workers, right?"

"Maybe." Boq shifted. "The thing is, most of Munchkinland isn't that fond of magic. Most of _Oz_ isn't."

"I know." Glinda almost pouted. "Outside Gillikin, it's seen as dangerous and untrustworthy."

"Well, think about it. It's associated with people in power. The Wizard rules Oz with magic—supposedly—and outside Gillikin, most people don't trust the Wizard. Even here at Shiz, magic is associated with Morrible."

"But it can be used for great things," Glinda protested. "Morrible is evil, but magic isn't. It can be practical, helpful. I mean, look at my fire. Look at all this knowledge on healing spells."

Boq gave a short laugh. "Yes, and if every magic user was like you, then Oz would be a much better place. But they're not. So, magic has a bad reputation."

Glinda flushed a little, but then she looked thoughtful. "I wonder if it could change. If magic was used for good, not just in small instances but for big things, all throughout Oz…I wonder if people could think differently of it."

* * *

Classes began cramming, trying to review the entire semester and fit in three more months of learning all at the same time. It was ridiculous, exhausting, and Morrible's sorcery class was no exception.

This afternoon, the headmistress had them practicing dexterity. It was a good skill, but Glinda felt a little ridiculous. With one hand she levitated a cup that was filled to the brim with hot tea. The other hand was holding a small wooden puzzle in the air, trying to fit the interlocking pieces back together again. Meanwhile, she walked carefully around a tiny square that had been taped to the floor by Morrible. One step out of line and the headmistress would send a spark of electricity to the square, zapping her just enough to throw her off and drop either the tea or the puzzle.

Glinda risked a glance around at her classmates. They were all struggling with their own cups and puzzles and tiny taped squares, and most of them looked just as self-conscious as she did. Focusing again, she twisted her fingers and slid another piece of the puzzle in place. She raised her foot to take another step. The piece she had just placed didn't hold, and two more fell out with it. Glinda dipped her hand a little, struggling to catch them before they dropped more than a couple inches, and without thinking she stepped forward.

The jolt of electricity wasn't painful, just surprising. It ran up her leg, through her torso, and down her arms. The cup tipped dangerously and the puzzle completely fell apart, but Glinda grit her teeth and drew both objects in closer, steadying them before anything fell. When she was stable again, she looked down.

Both feet were on the tape. Glinda looked across the room and saw a trace of Madame Morrible's smirk before the headmistress turned away.

Her neck prickled with heat and she felt her arms shaking. She was finally managing to do something right in this class, and _still_ Morrible tormented her.

Suddenly her arm was burning. Glinda jerked and steadied her tea before more could spill. Her skin throbbed, and Glinda cursed under her breath as she held it up to inspect it. Gritting her teeth, she moved her hand over the burn and mumbled a quick charm. She'd wanted to practice healing spells, anyway.

To her slight surprise, the charm was flawless. Her skin cooled and within seconds, every trace of the burn was gone. She looked around the classroom, but none of her classmates appeared to have noticed.

Morrible was watching her, though. Her eyes were narrowed, and Glinda could tell her teeth were clenched. Swallowing hard, Glinda focused on her work once more, trying to ignore the headmistress's gaze. Her hands shook and her knees wobbled, threatening to give out.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder, squeezing. "It's okay," Glinda heard someone say. "You've got this."

She steadied herself and took a step forward. The puzzle pieces slid back together easily, and the cup never tilted. When she finally dared to look up again, Morrible had crossed her arms and turned away. Glinda grinned, triumphant, but then paused and looked over her shoulder. _Elphie?_

There was no one there. The voice was gone. It had never been there in the first place.

When the hour was almost over, Morrible walked around and inspected their work. She stopped in front of Glinda, raising her eyebrows.

"Nice work on the puzzle," she said quietly. "But it seems you've spilt some of your tea."

Glinda met her gaze and said nothing. Morrible narrowed her eyes, then waved her hand.

"You're dismissed. You did well today, so I see no need for us to meet after class."

She walked on toward the next student before Glinda could respond. Was Morrible…rewarding her? _Why_?

Glinda left the sorcery building with the rest of her classmates. They were talking about their final projects, swapping topics and little bits of research, but they kept a constant few feet of distance from Glinda. She was too numb to pay attention anyway. She looked up once and accidentally met the eyes of another girl. The other girl started to speak, perhaps to ask her what she was researching, but then she closed her mouth and gave Glinda one last look before turning back to the others.

Glinda's shoulders slumped. She slowed her pace, letting them all pass her, and wandered aimlessly across campus. The boys usually met her at the café for dinner, but that wasn't for another hour. Unsure of what to do, Glinda found a bench near the main square of campus and sat down. She stared up at the sky and thought of the voice she had heard during class.

It was just because Elphie had been here. She had held Glinda and talked to her so recently, and now it was stuck in Glinda's mind. That was the only reason.

"I'm not going crazy," Glinda said out loud. She winced at the sound.

"I sure hope not," Crope said. She spun around, smiling as he and Tibbett walked up and sat on either side of her. "Someone in our little group needs to be sane."

"And it sure won't be us," Tibbett added. "Why are you sitting all alone in the cold?"

Glinda shrugged and gave him her most dazzling smile. "I got away from Morrible early, and I was waiting for you two."

"Of course you were," said Crope. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stood, pulling her with him. "You weren't sulking or anything."

"I wasn't!"

"Come on, Miss Glinda." Tibbett wrapped his arm around her waist, and between them she could hardly feel the cold at all. "Dinner awaits."

* * *

The flight back to the Emerald City was long, cold, and boring. Elphaba grit her teeth and held her cloak tight with one hand. She leaned low over the broom and tried to convince herself that her eyes were watering because of the wind, nothing else.

Despite it all, she made good time. It was too light to just fly in, so Elphaba angled down, planning to land and enter the city through one of the gates in the lower district. She was stopped, however, by a dark figure appearing above the city, heading toward her.

"How did you know I was coming?" she asked when Peric got close enough.

He didn't look at her as he responded, "Birds have better eyesight. Head for the ground. We need to talk."

Elphaba tensed, but she followed him down. They landed near a cluster of trees a couple hundred feet away from the city's wall.

"What is it?" Elphaba asked. "Are you okay? Is Malky okay? Did something—"

"I'm fine, we're all fine." Peric scratched at the ground, agitated. "Malky's been spending all his time in the underground. It's a mess. Things have been crazy since we heard."

"Heard what?"

"You should fly on to Munchkinland. There's not much you can do here for a while, anyway."

"You're not making any sense. What's going on?"

"We need to know what's happening at Colwen Grounds, and you need to be with your sister."

" _Peric._ What happened?"

He finally looked up at her. "The Eminent Thropp. He's dead."


	18. Chapter 18

The world had been thrown into chaos.

At least, that's what it seemed like to Elphaba. She urged her broom faster, trying to leave her thoughts behind with the ground that blurred beneath her. It didn't work.

She had never seen Peric as agitated as he was outside the Emerald City. She almost asked him to go with her to Munchkinland, but she knew better. He had to stay in the city. The underground was restless and uncertain, and they needed all the help they could get. Besides, there was nothing he could do once she reached Colwen Grounds.

Traveling across Munchkinland took a lot longer than traveling from Shiz to the Emerald City. More than once, Elphaba had to land and rest. At least the sun was bright and a little warmer than in Gillikin. She was out of food, too, but didn't dare swipe anything from the fields she landed in. Oz knew these farmers needed every crop that could grow.

What was going to happen to Munchkinland now? What was Nessarose going to do? Peric said they knew almost nothing about what had happened. The only reason they knew at all was because someone's cousin worked in the kitchens at Colwen Grounds, and they had sent word as soon as possible. The news hadn't spread throughout the city yet, but it had still been several days since the new Eminent had been sworn in as leader of Munchkinland.

A horrible thought occurred to Elphaba as the grounds came into view on the horizon. Even if the rest of Oz wasn't talking about it yet, the Wizard had to know. Would he make a visit to meet the new Eminent Thropp? Would he be here at the grounds, already trying to manipulate Nessa? Perhaps even waiting for Elphaba, knowing she would come?

Elphaba grit her teeth and kept flying. It was too late to turn back now. Nessa needed her. The Resistance needed to know what was going on. Even if the Wizard was coming, it would take a while for him to prepare and travel out here. Maybe she still had time.

She landed on the dirt path just outside the iron gates, shouldered her broom, and walked up to the Munchkin on duty. Despite everything that brought her here, she smiled as she recognized him.

"Master Viko," she said. He jerked upright, then leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Miss Elphaba? Is that really you?"

"Are there any other green girls that come to Colwen Grounds?"

He thought about it. "We get a lot of strange folk here, but no. I believe you are unique in that respect."

"Only in that respect?" Elphaba asked. He smiled a little.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "In many ways. How in Oz did you get here so fast? I figured you'd be here eventually, but…"

Elphaba grinned. "Would you believe me if I told you I flew here?"

Viko paused. "If it were anyone else, no. But you, Miss Elphaba, seem to be a girl of many talents. I'm assuming you want me to open the gates for you?"

"That would be nice."

He hopped down and went to the gate. It swung open with a low creak. Elphaba stepped forward, but paused in front of him. She looked down the gravel path toward the castle.

"What has it been like?" she asked, almost in a whisper. "What has she been like?"

"I haven't seen her," Viko said, just as soft. "But things have been…quiet."

"Quiet?"

He nodded. "Like the calm before the storm. I don't know what you're doing here, or how long you'll stay, and I know it's none of my business. But you best be on your toes, Miss Elphaba. Something is coming, and when it gets here, I don't think any of us are going to like it."

Elphaba met his eyes, noting the warning that was in them. _Stay safe_ , he was saying. But she was beyond _safe_.

Maybe they all were.

"Thank you," she said. She started forward again, but then stopped. "Master Viko? One more thing. I know news of the Eminent is only just getting around, but has anyone visited yet?"

He gave her a long, knowing look. "No, Miss Elphaba," he said, turning and heading back to his post. "You're the only one."

Elphaba nodded, thanked him again, and made her way up the path to the castle.

The sun was setting, casting the grounds into low, blinding light and eerie shadows. The castle was still dark and imposing, but it seemed muted, somehow. Elphaba studied the grounds as she approached. Something was different. There were carriage tracks in the path, far more than Elphaba had ever seen, and she wondered who had been coming and going so often. Off to one side, the stables seemed to be completely full—not of the handful of well-groomed horses that pulled carriages for the Thropp family, but of short, muscular horses that Elphaba had never seen before. Near the stable was a small shack. Elphaba remembered seeing it on her first visit to the grounds, when Nessa had told her it was once used for weaponry. It had looked all but abandoned then, but now it was clearly in use. There was construction surrounding it, clearly adding on to the building, and several grim-faced Munchkins were bustling about, carrying armfuls of swords, clubs, and armor.

Elphaba turned her attention back toward the castle. She made her way up the front stairs, but she was stopped at the door by two guards. They stepped together, blocking her path.

"Her Eminence is not receiving visitors," one of them said.

"I'm her sister."

The second guard met her eyes. "We have our orders. No one is allowed in without the Eminent's permission."

Elphaba adjusted her grip on the broom and narrowed her eyes. The first guard shifted.

"If you wait here, I can find someone to go ask—"

"No," a voice said. Elphaba closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. "She is not allowed in."

She turned to face the figure that was coming up the path from the chapel. "Hello, Father. It's nice to see you, too."

"What are you doing here?" he growled. The guards stepped back into their positions and stared ahead, pretending not to hear.

"I came to see Nessa," Elphaba said. "Where is she?"

"You're not welcome here. You can't see her. I won't—"

"Enough." The front doors swung open, and behind them was Nessarose. She looked coldly at all of them. "Let her in."

"But—"

"I will see her." Nessa cut their father off with a glance. He scowled, but turned and left, heading back the way he came. Elphaba didn't bother watching him go.

"Nessa—"

Nessarose said nothing. She wheeled around and started off, leaving Elphaba to hurry after her. They stayed silent as Nessa led them through the castle and to a small, cluttered room. Elphaba glanced around, recognizing it as the Eminent's office. Nessa moved to the far side of the desk and faced Elphaba.

"Close the door," was all she said. Elphaba did so, leaning back against it and crossing her arms over her chest. Her hat was still on and her fingers still gripped the broom tightly. Nessarose raised an eyebrow.

"You look different."

"So do you." She did. She sat taller. Her skin was paler and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun. The bones in her cheeks stuck out more, making her look a little older, and her eyes were harder, making her look a _lot_ older.

"Where have you been?"

"I can't tell you that."

"And if I guessed?"

Elphaba shrugged. "You're a smart girl. You'd probably be right."

"If I am right," she said, "then it's a mistake letting you be here."

Elphaba sighed. "I heard what happened. I came to make sure you were okay."

"Oh? You didn't come to get information?" Her voice was colder than Elphaba had ever heard it.

"I wanted to be here for you."

Nessa met her eyes and held them. They stared at each other for a long moment, Elphaba's gaze quiet and closed off, and Nessa's hard and accusing. Nessa broke first, looking around the office.

"He died in his sleep," she said quietly. "The physician said it was painless."

"When was it?"

"Six days ago." Nessa sighed. "We had a quiet service—just everyone here at the grounds and a few of his closest colleagues that were in the area."

"You didn't want word to get out."

Nessa looked back up at her. "No," she said slowly. "The news will get around soon enough—I'm sure it already has, if you're here. People will find out, and they will start investigating the change of the Eminency. I want to put that off for as long as possible."

"Is that why you aren't receiving visitors?"

"I'm sending out word that Colwen Grounds is closed until further notice. We need time to mourn, and to reorient ourselves."

"Is anyone going to respect that?"

"They have to." Nessa pressed her lips together. "I know you're worried about the Wizard. He won't be here. Not until I'm seeing visitors again."

"Do you really think—"

"He's trying to get on my good side," Nessa said. "He could never get anything from Grandfather, and he's hoping he'll have better luck with a new Eminent. Munchkinland is in a fragile place right now, and he's expecting me to be just as delicate as our situation. So yes, he will respect my decisions. For the time being."

Elphaba studied her sister. "The last few months, when you were working with Grandfather," she said, "what have you learned?"

"A lot." Nessa's voice was quiet, and for a moment Elphaba saw the young, vulnerable side of her. But then she cleared her throat and gripped the arms of her chair, and all her uncertainty was gone. "I've learned enough to know that we are facing great danger, and great change."

A chill ran down Elphaba's spine. "What do you mean?"

"The Munchkinlanders are losing their rights. More and more are forced to go to the Emerald City to work under terrible conditions for little pay, and the loss of workers is hitting our farms hard. If we continue under the Wizard's rule, we will lose everything."

"What are you proposing?"

"Munchkinland must secede from Oz."

Silence. Elphaba blinked. She stood up from the door, slipped her hat off, and ran her fingers through her hair.

"That's…Nessa, this—"

"There are people who have been calling for secession for months now, and with every ban that the Wizard passes, the movement only grows. When Grandfather and I discussed it, he never thought we were ready. He always spoke as if he were waiting for something…some big change, to start it all."

"Like his death," Elphaba whispered.

Nessa nodded. "Munchkinland has grown restless. The death of the Eminent only increases that. If there was a time to act, it's now."

"Do you realize what you're saying? This isn't some law you pass. You can't just decree this and let it work itself out. You will be building and leading an independent nation all on your own. And it won't be peaceful, either. If you do this, you're likely to start a war."

"We're already at war," Nessa snapped. "I think you would know that, seeing as you're fighting in it."

"I'm not—"

"Spare me your excuses, Elphaba. I'm not stupid. You're in the Emerald City, fighting against the Wizard." Nessarose glared. "I thought you of all people would support the secession. If it happens, I will no longer be loyal to the Wizard, which means it will no longer be a crime to allow you inside this house."

"House?" Elphaba scoffed. "With towers and armed guards and armories that I know are being restored? Don't look so surprised, Nessa. I'm not stupid, either."

Nessa shut her mouth and glared at her. Eventually she folded her hands on her lap and softened her expression. "I'm glad you told me that," she said carefully. "When we do start receiving visitors again, I will need to make our preparations less obvious."

"So you are doing this. You've already made your decision."

"I am beginning to meet with Munchkinland's leaders. Once we finalize our negotiations and draft our own laws, I will take a declaration of secession to the Wizard."

Elphaba pressed her palms to her eyes. "Oz, Nessa. How many people know about this?"

"Only the governors and representatives I am meeting with."

"And everyone who works at the Colwen Grounds, and everyone who works for all the other people you're working with, and everyone who knows all of those workers, and everyone who knows _them,_ and—"

"Enough." Nessa rolled her eyes. "So word will spread before it is official. What does it matter?"

"What does it matter?" Elphaba threw her hands up. "You do realize that the Wizard will try to talk you out of it. And if that doesn't work, he'll try to force you out of it. He'll treat the Munchkins worse than ever before. Hell and Oz, he'll probably invade Munchkinland itself."

"He can try," Nessa said firmly. "I never claimed this would be easy, Elphaba. I only said I would do it. Munchkinland cannot continue to be a part of Oz."

"This is insane."

"You said you came here to make sure I was okay. You said you wanted to be here for me."

Elphaba shifted her weight. "Yes."

"And? Are you here for me?"

"Nessa," she sighed. "You're talking about—"

Nessa's eyes drilled into hers. "Forget the politics and answer the question, Fabala. Are you here for _me_?"

 _Chaos,_ Elphaba thought. _The world has been thrown into chaos._ She swallowed. "Yes."

Just like that, Nessarose softened. She slumped in her chair and let out a heavy breath. Her eyes grew a little warmer and the corner of her mouth turned up. In an instant, she had gone from the hard, determined Eminent Thropp to the sister Elphaba recognized.

"Thank you. I…am glad you're here."

Elphaba allowed herself one small moment to marvel at how much Nessa had changed. But then, she had changed too, hadn't she? She shook her head and returned the smile.

"I am, too."

Nessa smoothed her fingers over her legs. "You must be tired. And hungry. We can grab some food from the kitchens and find somewhere to catch up. Let's just get out of this office. It makes me claustrophobic."

Elphaba walked around to grab Nessa's chair. She glanced around at the books and papers that filled the room. All of this used to be their grandfather's work, and now it was Nessa's.

 _Claustrophobic indeed,_ Elphaba thought. She pushed Nessa out of the room and let her lead them through the castle, settling effortlessly into their old dynamic once more.

* * *

They grabbed a light dinner and wandered automatically toward the covered porch at the back of the castle. Elphaba sat cross-legged beside Nessa and picked at her food.

"You know, I can't actually tell you anything," she said, avoiding Nessa's eye. "So I'm not sure how much catching up we'll be able to do."

Nessarose rolled her eyes. "I can't tell you much, either. I don't know who you're answering to."

"Fair enough." Elphaba grinned a little. "Tell me this, though, since I haven't been around Munchkinland. When exactly did talk of secession start?"

"I'm not sure. Over the summer, when the Wizard's bans started. There were little uprisings here and there. Remember when Father went to give his sermons and had to come back early?"

"Even back then?"

Nessa nodded grimly. "There's been unrest throughout Munchkinland. Protests, farms being destroyed, skirmishes. It started near the Gillikin border and has mostly stayed there, but it does move inward from time to time."

"Munchkinlanders are fighting each other?" Elphaba asked.

"No, mostly just with outsiders. Carriages passing through, soldiers from Gillikin—they're the biggest victims. Everything else is just collateral damage." Nessa looked sideways at her. "Secession would prevent that damage. It would prevent this violence altogether."

It was Elphaba's turn to roll her eyes. "You're right. These little uprisings would end, and instead you'd have entire battles fought on your land."

"You don't know that."

Elphaba snorted. "You don't have to convince me, Nessa. Nothing I say is going to change it, anyway."

"You never understand, do you? I don't need your permission; I just want your approval."

Elphaba curled up, hugging her knees, and stared out across the grounds. "My approval doesn't change anything here. This is beyond me."

"This is what you're fighting for," said Nessa. "Isn't it?"

"I'm fighting for an Oz where everyone is safe and has all their rights. Not one that is divided and at war."

"I'm not trying to start a war," Nessa said sharply. "We are trying to move quickly and declare independence from Oz before the Wizard can act against us. Once it is official, we can negotiate peace between Munchkinland and Oz."

"And what about the other parts of Oz? _If_ the Wizard lets Munchkinland go, who does he turn to next? Will Quadling Country rebel? Will the Vinkus? Will either of them draw up an alliance with you or each other? How long before Oz is nothing but a time bomb of fragile new nations, just ready to explode?"

"If Munchkinland sets a precedent, then so be it. The Wizard cannot have control of Oz forever."

"And one person can't change the world."

Nessarose raised her eyebrows. "Since when do you of all people believe that?"

"Since I experienced the real world."

"Well. Just because whatever you tried to do at Shiz failed miserably does not mean I will."

Elphaba pressed her lips together. Silence stretched between the sisters, cold and heavy. Eventually Nessa placed her hands on the wheels of her chair and turned away, heading for the door that led to the rest of the castle.

"Your usual room is already prepared for you," she said. Her eyes were hard again. "I have a meeting in the morning, and I don't expect I'll see you again until the afternoon. Good night, Elphaba."

Nessarose disappeared from the room without another word. Elphaba sighed and scooted forward to press her forehead to the glass panes that sheltered the porch. It was cool beneath her skin, relieving the slight ache that was building.

How long would she stay here? It didn't seem like there was much she could do. Nessarose had risen to her role as the new Eminent, and while she was clearly busy, she didn't seem to need Elphaba.

No, that wasn't right. She _did_ need Elphaba. She needed someone to look out for her, to be at her side as she carried out the biggest event in Oz since the Wizard took power. Elphaba had always been there for Nessa, as her sister, her caretaker, and sometimes even her friend. That's what Nessa needed right now, but she would never admit it.

And Elphaba wasn't even sure she could be that. The Wizard might be respecting the distance now, but it wouldn't last. Nessarose had only said it to hurt her, but she was right: it was dangerous for Elphaba to be here. Even if it wasn't, she couldn't stay here forever. The Resistance needed to know about the secession. The Munchkinlanders in the Emerald City needed to know. Best case scenario, they would be stuck in Gillikin, unable to return home after the declaration was made. Worst case scenario…well, either way, the Resistance needed to know about this, as soon as possible.

Elphaba pulled the tie out of her hair and ran her fingers through it, undoing the braid. At least she had the broom. She could leave at a moment's notice if she had to, and she could be back in the Emerald City within a day. She would just have to wait and see what happened.

For now, though, she was exhausted. She climbed to her feet, stretched her arms above her head, then picked up her bag and her hat and her broom. She wandered the semi-familiar path through the castle and back to her room. When she got there, she closed the door behind her and sank onto the bed. Her fingers grabbed at the scarf around her neck, automatically taking it off and wrapping it around her hands. She thought of Glinda. Had it really been this morning when they last saw each other? Wasn't it years ago? Wasn't it just a few minutes?

Elphaba curled up tight and pressed her forehead to the fabric covering her fists. If she'd had any more energy, she was sure she'd be shaking. But she was completely drained. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she thought of Glinda one last time.

And then she was asleep.

* * *

Viko had been right. Life at the Colwen Grounds was, despite everything, quiet. Servants floated like ghosts around the castle, speaking to each other in hushed whispers in corners. Grim-faced Munchkins with swords strapped at their waists wandered around the grounds, never saying much of anything to anyone. Elphaba hadn't seen her father since the evening of her arrival, which she was perfectly fine with.

Nessarose herself stayed mostly in the Eminent's office— _her_ office, Elphaba had to keep reminding herself. No one left the grounds, and no one but the handful of politicians Nessa was working with entered. She would greet them at the door, introducing herself both formally and firmly, effectively establishing her authority within the first minute of conversation. Elphaba stayed out of sight and only overheard a few snatches of the discussions that were occurring behind closed doors, but from what she could tell Nessa had their tentative respect. For now, at least while they were working toward the same goal, they supported her.

The castle seemed to be in a bubble, muffling all noises, and it was unnerving. But if she didn't think about it, it was just quiet, and Elphaba liked the quiet.

She spent hours in the library, comforted by the sight and smell of being surrounded by endless shelves of books. It made her think of Shiz, too, but she would quickly push those thoughts away, telling herself that there were more important things at hand.

She read more on sorcery, practicing in a relatively empty corner. She found a huge, dusty volume about the use of sorcery in wars throughout Ozian history, and she spent an entire day reading it from front to back. She wondered how much use her magic could be, if it came down to a battle at Colwen Grounds. There were spells to fortify buildings, make traps, enchant weapons—and that was without the powers she already used in fights. If Munchkinland's secession led to war, would she be able to help?

Would she even be here? Elphaba asked herself one night. She sighed and rubbed her eyes and fell back onto her bed. It had been four days since she arrived at the Colwen Grounds, and talk of the secession was flying through Munchkinland. Letters were starting to pour in from farmers or mayors of small towns or even workers in the Emerald City, acknowledging their support and detailing the latest uprisings and even giving advice to the new young Eminent. If the Munchkinlanders were talking about it, then the rest of Oz wasn't far behind. The Resistance had to know by now, which meant that Elphaba could stay at the grounds a little longer.

But…how long? Nessa needed her, but she clearly didn't want to need her. They didn't even see each other that much—only in the early mornings or late evenings, or when Nessa snuck food from the kitchens and ate privately with her. They rarely had a conversation that didn't end in an argument. She could tell Nessa was trying to lean on her, and Elphaba was trying to give her the support, but there was too much in the way: the Eminency, the Resistance, the secession, the Wizard.

Time seemed suspended. She and Nessa were locked in a struggle, having circular arguments that never went anywhere and never told Elphaba whether she should stay or leave. Munchkinland was frozen, tense, waiting for whatever move came next. _A time bomb,_ Elphaba thought, remembering what she had told Nessa.

She didn't know what came next or what she should do, so Elphaba stayed. It did nothing to ease her uncertainty, but at this point she didn't think anything would.

Besides, she had an uneasy feeling that, once she left Colwen Grounds, she would never be coming back.


	19. Chapter 19

Glinda spread her notes across the table and tucked her feet beneath her. There was too much research for her sorcery project, and she needed to narrow it down to write the actual paper. Part of her just wanted to keep researching and not worry about the rest of it. Tonight after dinner, she would go to the sorcery building to practice some of the spells she'd learned. Ever since healing her burnt arm in Morrible's class, she was dying to try more. Maybe this was something she could actually do, despite how terrible her magic had been this semester.

But for now, she had to at least try to be productive. Boq was supposed to meet her, and they planned to spend most of their Saturday in the library. Of course, Boq was supposed to be here by now, but it didn't matter. Glinda pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and grabbed her pen. It was raining outside, and the air was cold enough to turn it to slush. That was probably why he was late.

She began skimming through her journal, underlining key points and scribbling notes to herself in the margins. She had just flipped the page for the third time when Boq appeared. His hair was ruffled and his eyes darted around. Glinda tilted her head as he walked up to the table.

"Sorry I'm late. I…"

"What happened?" She noticed an envelope shaking in his hands. "Who's the letter from?"

"My parents."

Glinda set her pen down. "Is everything okay? Are they—"

"They're fine. It's just…" He tossed the envelope onto the table and sank into his chair. "It's Munchkinland. The Eminent Thropp. He's…he's dead."

Her pen rolled off the table, hitting the floor with a clatter that was a lot louder than it should have been. Glinda realized that her mouth had fallen open, and she shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts.

"How…when did he…?" Elphaba had said the Eminent Thropp was getting old, but had she known it would happen so soon?

Boq shook his head, staring down at his hands. "Apparently he died peacefully in his sleep. Everything has been quiet. Colwen Grounds is shut down right now."

"Shut down?"

"The new Eminent—" He cleared his throat, "—Elphaba's sister declared that no visitors were allowed. She claims that it's just a mourning period, some time to transition from one Eminent to the next in peace. But…"

Glinda's head reeled. Nessarose was even younger than them. She had always assured Elphaba whenever the green girl worried about her sister, but the idea of someone so young becoming a leader was still insane.

Boq hadn't continued his thought. Glinda leaned forward. "But what?"

He blinked and shook his head a little. "There's been a lot of talk around where my parents live, and probably across the rest of Munchkinland. It's all just rumors, of course, but people are saying that there have been a lot of governors and representatives traveling to Colwen Grounds."

"Even though it's closed?"

"Exactly. It's only high-ranking Munchkin officials, too. The Eminent is inviting them and meeting with them."

"And she's doing it secretly, so that the rest of Oz doesn't find out. Boq, what's happening?"

He reached forward, fiddling with a corner of the letter. "There's been no official decree yet, but…" He took a breath, then let it out slowly. His next words were nothing more than a sigh. "Munchkinland is going to secede from Oz."

Glinda sat back. She stayed quiet, letting what he had just told her sink in, but it didn't. It hovered on the surface, too absurd to be true.

"Secede…like, separate from the rest of Oz? Can they even _do_ that?"

"They're not exactly seeking permission," Boq said.

Glinda rubbed her forehead. "No, I mean…what will happen? What is the rest of Oz going to do?"

"I don't know." Boq shrugged and kept his voice light. "Maybe they'll negotiate a truce and it will all happen peacefully. Munchkinlanders that are currently in the Emerald City or wherever else will be granted passage back home or they'll be allowed to continue where they are. Trade agreements will be sorted out and all of our rights will be restored, and eventually the Animals will all migrate to Munchkinland where they can be free citizens again."

Glinda gave him a look. "No one is stupid enough to believe that. What do you _really_ think will happen?"

He sighed. "I think the Wizard will declare war, and the rest of Oz is going to have to pick a side. I think, even if they somehow become an independent nation without starting a war, that every Munchkinlander will be forced to flee Oz before they're imprisoned or killed."

Glinda reached across the table and took his hand, stilling the fingers that were tearing up the corner of his parents' letter. "You're afraid you'll have to leave."

Boq swallowed and struggled to keep his tone light. "It was only a matter of time, anyway."

"No," Glinda whispered. "No, this isn't _right_. It's not—it's not…" She wanted to say it's not fair, and it wasn't, but what was the use? None of this was fair. It never had been.

"My parents told me to stay here while I can," Boq said quietly. "Munchkinland is unstable, and they're worried that things will get worse when it becomes official."

"Things will get worse here, too." Glinda squeezed his hand. "I don't want you to leave, Boq, but I don't want you to be in danger, either."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Even after the announcement, it'll probably be a while before they decide what will happen to the Munchkins in Oz. I'll be safe until then."

"Even with Morrible here?"

"She wouldn't dare do anything. Not when things are so uneasy."

Glinda studied him. There were a lot of things that Morrible shouldn't dare to do, and yet she did. She felt useless. What could she possibly do to help Boq? To help all of Munchkinland? She had no power, no influence.

For the first time, she thought about Morrible's offer. A sorcery position in the Emerald City, working for the Wizard. She didn't trust Morrible in the slightest, but what could she do if she was in the palace? Who could she help?

She shook her head. It was ridiculous, and she would never say yes to an offer that put her in the Wizard's control. Finally, she asked, "Have you told the others yet?"

Boq shook his head. "I just got the letter. I'll tell them at dinner, I guess."

"What do you want me to do?" Glinda squeezed his hand again. "Whatever you need from me, I'll do it."

"I know." He sighed a little. "I guess, just… I don't want to think about it any more than I have to. Nothing is going to happen immediately. I'm here until the end of the semester, and probably through winter break. So until then…"

"Act normal. Don't bring it up." She grinned. "Make sure you don't use this as an excuse to slack off before exams."

"Well there goes my master plan," Boq muttered, but he was chuckling now. "Oz, the world has gone crazy, hasn't it?"

"Maybe it's always been crazy," said Glinda. "Maybe now we're just old enough to see it."

* * *

Boq told the others that evening. They took it about as well as Glinda had, meaning that for a long time they all just sat around the table, staring helplessly at each other.

"So…the new leader of Munchkinland is Elphaba's sister?" Crope asked eventually.

"Nessarose Thropp," Glinda said, nodding. "She's a couple years younger than us."

"Hell and Oz," Fiyero mumbled. He was scowling, deep in thought. Glinda wondered if he was thinking about his own nation, his own duties as a leader.

Tibbett slumped in his chair. "You know, the world would be a lot better if they just loosened up and hung out once in a while." They all gave him curious looks, so he waved his hand around the table. "Look at us. A Munchkin, a rich girl from Frottica, a Vinkan prince, and two sons of Emerald City businessmen. We're from all over Oz, yet we get along fine."

"Maybe we should run the world," Crope said, nodding.

"Some of us have to," Fiyero muttered. He pressed his palms into his eyes. "I need to write home. I have no idea how the Vinkus will respond to this."

"I wonder what Elphie would say." The words came from Boq, who sighed as they all looked at him. "She just…always seemed to know what to do."

"She was inspiring," said Tibbett. "I wonder what kind of mischief she would have gotten us all in to, if she had stayed."

"Taking down Morrible," Glinda said softly. The others turned toward her, and a corner of her mouth twitched. "I have no idea how, but if anyone could find a way, it's her."

Fiyero nodded. "She could lead a revolution, if she wanted to."

"She did," said Crope. "Isn't that what we were doing last year? And if she let Glinda in, then that revolution would be unstoppable."

Glinda smiled sadly. "She has to have heard about all this by now. I wonder how she's taking it. I wish…"

Fiyero wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I know," he said quietly. "We all do."

* * *

The sky was starting to pale outside her window, and still Elphaba couldn't sleep. She resisted the urge to groan and instead pushed herself into a sitting position, rubbing at her eyes. She took a deep breath and swung her legs over the side of the bed to toe around for her boots. Maybe a walk around the grounds would tire her out enough to sleep, and if not, maybe it would wake her up.

Elphaba crept quietly through the castle and out a servants' entrance on the eastern wall. She paused for a moment, watching the horizon, but it was just a little too early to catch a glimpse of the sun. She adjusted her cloak to keep out more of the winter air, then went on her way.

It had been a mild winter, both here and in the Emerald City. It was cold, but there had yet to be even a flurry of snow. It was a small consolation, but one that she took gladly. Elphaba walked aimlessly down one of the dirt paths that wound around the castle. Like last winter, the grounds were spotted with empty garden patches and clusters of bare trees. Elphaba came to a stop and looked around. Nearly a year ago was the first time she stepped foot in Colwen Grounds. That wasn't so long ago. In the scheme of things, it was a blink of an eye. And yet, everything had changed.

She reached up and touched the scarf around her neck, then kept walking. The grounds were quiet. The workers—whether they were the usual servants or the new soldiers that always seemed to be wandering around—were all out of sight, probably still sleeping. Elphaba kept to her path as it wound by the stables and the little shed that she was sure served as an armory.

How could Nessa be preparing for a war, and yet be so calm about it? It wasn't like her at all, and Elphaba knew her religion frowned upon it.

The path split in two, and Elphaba hesitated, staring down each option in turn. To the left was a little grove of trees and, further, the chapel. To the right was the castle. Elphaba's brow furrowed and, without any conscious decision, she went to the left.

The chapel seemed smaller in the pale light and fog of the morning. Then again, it wasn't a large building in the first place—just a circular room with benches and candles and shelves that held dusty prayer books and sermons.

Elphaba stopped as she neared it, shook her head, and turned on her heel. She took a step away, back toward the castle, but then she heard two familiar voices.

"Oz, why do I do this to myself," Elphaba murmured, moving toward the chapel once more. She slipped off the path and out of sight, creeping forward until she was close enough to hear the soft conversation within. She hoped Nessa and her father were just praying, but then she heard her name.

Nessarose sighed. "I don't know what you expect me to do."

"Not associate yourself with criminals during your first month of the Eminency," said her father.

"She's family."

"She vanished from this household. She commits acts of treason against Oz."

"The secession would also be an act of treason," Nessa pointed out. She sounded tired, and Elphaba wondered how many times they'd had this conversation.

"It is rebellion, not treason." Frex's voice softened. "Nessa, you know that whatever she is up to in the Emerald City, it isn't good."

"We're fighting for the same thing."

"Perhaps, but in very different ways. You are trying to protect your people. Your actions are diplomatic, and you are doing everything you can to keep the secession peaceful. Your _sister,_ on the other hand," he spat, "is a criminal. She is irrational and violent, she protects nobody, and she fights for war, not peace."

Elphaba leaned against the outside wall of the chapel. She breathed in slowly, trying to still her suddenly trembling hands.

"We don't know what she does," Nessa said, though Elphaba could hear the waver in her voice.

"We know she's a criminal. We know that much."

"Before the end of the winter, I will be, too."

"No," Frex said, and Elphaba could picture him kneeling in front of Nessa, gripping her arm. "You are doing what you must, what the Unnamed God would want you to do. You are fighting for the freedom of your people. But your sister? She fights for no one but herself."

Nessa stayed silent. There was a tiny creak, the roll of her chair, probably, and then Frexspar was speaking again.

"I know you don't want to believe me. You want her to be on your side, but she's not. How many times has she left us now? How many times has she walked away from Colwen Grounds, away from Munchkinland itself?"

"Perhaps she believes this is her best course of action."

Frex sighed. "Perhaps," he said. "Or perhaps she has kept so much from you so that you will continue to believe she is helping you."

"This is neither the time nor place, Father," Nessarose said. Her tone was sharper now, cutting the conversation off. "I have a morning meeting with the governors. We can speak more at lunch, if you wish to keep pressing this issue, but for now, let's just finish our prayers so we can get on with the day."

Frex mumbled some sort of agreement, and Elphaba took it as her sign to slip away. She walked back to the castle and didn't stop until she was in her room, kicking her boots off and falling into the bed.

Suddenly so much of her ongoing arguments with Nessa made sense. Of course she couldn't trust Elphaba—not with Frex's opinions being whispered into her ear. True, Elphaba didn't tell her anything about her work in the Emerald City. But then, Nessa never talked about her meetings with Munchkinland's officials. They both held and relied on their secrets. Elphaba respected that, but Nessa never seemed content to. Now, she knew why.

Elphaba stayed stretched across her bed for the rest of the morning, her mind fading in and out without ever completely falling asleep. At one point she sat up long enough to pull the tie from her hair and run her fingers through her braid. She rolled to her stomach and lay down again, letting her hair fan across her shoulders and back. It was comforting, somehow, as if she could almost feel gentle fingers combing through it, rubbing small circles into her neck and scalp…

Elphaba buried her face in the pillow and screwed her eyes shut, and when that didn't work she hastily sat up and re-braided her hair.

When midday came, she was forced to get up and find something to eat. If Nessa and their father were eating lunch together, then she didn't want to be anywhere near them. Instead, she went down to the kitchens and found a small basket. She grabbed one of the freshly baked loaves of bread and a block of cheese. She also wrapped a few clusters of red grapes and, because they were already out on a plate, a stack of thin cookies. The workers in the kitchen bustled around her, paying her no attention, and she grabbed a knife to slice the bread and cheese, tied her basket shut, and swept out of the room once more.

She wasn't sure where she was going until she was halfway down the path to the front gate. From this side, there was a short set of stairs and a small door, probably leading to the watchman's post on the outside. Elphaba took the stairs two at a time and had to duck to get through the door.

Viko sat on the other side, leaning against the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him. He glanced up as she appeared, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Miss Elphaba. This is a surprise."

"Not too unpleasant, I hope," she said, closing the door behind her.

"Not unpleasant at all."

"Good, because I brought lunch."

"For me?" He sat up a little bit and peered at her basket.

"For us, if you don't mind."

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Viko asked as she sat next to him.

Elphaba gestured widely. "To the grounds and everybody in them, for being so damn stifling."

He chuckled. "I told you. It's been quiet here."

"It's unnerving." Elphaba opened the basket and plucked a handful of grapes, then scooted it toward him.

"It's a little better out here," Viko said. "Of course, no one ever comes or goes anymore. Well, except for those damned politicians." He tensed and glanced up at her. "Sorry."

Elphaba waved her hand. "No offense taken here. There's a reason I gave up the Eminency."

"I imagine there are a few reasons, and they're all brewing in that castle behind us as we speak."

"Oz is about to explode," Elphaba agreed quietly. "I'm not sure any of us will be ready when it does."

Viko made a low sound in the back of his throat. "We won't be. That's how it goes with these things. No one is ever ready. They just do what they can, and sometimes, they manage to make it through."

Elphaba had no response for that. She settled against the wall and gazed steadily ahead. Munchkinland stretched out before her, seemingly endless with its gentle hills and farmland. Never before had she considered her homeland to be peaceful. It had too many problems: there were too many political disputes, there was never enough money, the farms were never happy, the people bickered constantly over their beliefs. And yet, staring quietly at it now, she couldn't imagine it being disrupted by violence.

She spent about an hour at the gate with Viko. They didn't talk much, but his presence was vaguely steadying. When she rose to her feet, he thanked her and met her gaze. For a long moment, she couldn't look away. He seemed to be saying a thousand things to her, but when he finally turned his attention away from her again, she couldn't understand any of them.

* * *

Elphaba was in the library that night when Nessa found her. She was pressed into a corner, buried beneath stacks of books and carefully flattened scrolls, and she was just starting to nod off when Nessarose rolled into view.

"Ah," the younger girl said. "So this is where you've been sneaking off to."

"You wanted me out of sight, here I am." Elphaba flipped her current book shut and leaned her head back against the wall.

"Don't take is so personally," said Nessa. "If word got out that you were here, we'd all be in serious trouble."

Elphaba sighed. "Fair enough. Though I'm sure you're already in trouble. If the Wizard doesn't know about your plans by now, he will soon."

"Of course he knows, but he won't do anything. He will wait until I take the matter to him, and then he'll try to stop me."

"What makes you so sure?"

"If he acts against Munchkinland now, it will only give us more reason—and more support—to secede."

Elphaba glanced up at her, eyes wide, and Nessa scowled.

"Don't look so surprised," she snapped. "I've thought all of this through. I've been thinking about it for weeks now. Months, even. My actions are not irrational, unlike _some_ of us."

Irrational. This morning, Frex had called her irrational. Elphaba planted her hands against the floor and pushed herself up, sitting taller.

"I don't know what you think of me, Nessa, but I'm not just running around the Emerald City causing chaos."

"Then what _are_ you doing?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Then you know I can't trust you."

Elphaba closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She heard Nessa turn and start to wheel away. "Is that really what you think?" she blurted out. She opened her eyes to see Nessa pausing. Softly, she added, "Or is it Father talking?"

"Do you really think I'm incapable of forming my own opinions?" Nessa asked sharply, turning to face her again.

"Not at all. I just know that he doesn't trust me."

"For good reason, apparently."

Elphaba slowly grabbed the book from her lap and set it on the ground beside her. She rose to her feet and leaned against the wall, staring at Nessa. "You knew when I arrived that I was something of a fugitive, yet you let me in."

"I'm starting to think that was a mistake."

"Are you? Or is Father getting to you? He tried to get rid of me before you even knew I was here. He wants me to disappear."

Nessa's fingers clenched around the arms of her chair. "He just wants to protect me and the rest of this household. He knows what sort of things you're up to, and he doesn't want them bringing harm to Munchkinland."

Elphaba scoffed and shook her head. "That's not true, and you know it. This is personal. He doesn't care about politics or secession. He just wants me away from you."

"You're paranoid," Nessa said. "He's your father."

"He's not a good person, Nessa. Deep down, you know that."

" _Enough_." Nessa's eyes blazed. Elphaba sighed and tilted her head back, retreating just a little. The tension that had been building froze, keeping them in place. When Nessa spoke, her voice was strained. "Do not talk badly of our father. Not in front of me."

"He—"

"He's been given his share of burdens in this life. Whatever his faults are, they come from that."

Elphaba flinched as though she'd been hit. _It's your fault,_ she heard. Frex's anger, their mother, Nessa's legs—her fault. The silence deepened between them, and she couldn't think of anything to say. She longed, suddenly, for Glinda. Glinda would tell her it's not her fault. There was a point, last year, when she could almost believe it. When Glinda held her, when they were together, when they were with their friends.

Her shoulders slumped. She missed them. Not just Glinda, but all of them. Wild, flirtatious Crope and Tibbett, charming, caring Fiyero, and Boq—quiet, intelligent Boq. She never thought about it much, but he was her first friend at Shiz.

Elphaba felt exhausted. She blinked, coming out of a daze, and found Nessa still glaring at her.

"I'm going to bed," Elphaba said quietly, pushing off from the wall. She passed Nessa and was about to turn behind a bookshelf and out of sight, but she stopped. She turned to look over her shoulder, but her eyes stayed on the floor. "I know, when Munchkinland separates from Oz, you will be overwhelmed. But there is a boy, at Shiz. His name is Boq. He's smart, compassionate, a hard worker. He's been fighting for a better Oz, just like the rest of us."

"What about him?" Nessa asked.

"He's…he's my friend. Just, when all of this blows up, make sure he gets out safely. If you can."

Elphaba glanced up long enough to see the anger fade from Nessa's face. She didn't wait for an answer—she wasn't sure there would be one—and instead turned and kept walking, disappearing from the library.


	20. Chapter 20

Glinda pressed further into the corner, shadowing herself from view. She held her breath as footsteps approached the door, then, oh so slowly, faded. The light in the hall blew out, the front door slammed and clicked shut, and she was alone.

She reached up to the lantern on the wall above her and, with a flurry of fingers, lit it. Now that she had enough light again, she went back to the table near the back of the room and continued flipping through the latest sorcery book she had borrowed from the library.

Staying in the sorcery building after hours was becoming a habit—this was her third time just this week. It wasn't required for her final project, but the healing spells she taught herself were some of the best magic she had performed all semester.

It wasn't easy, of course. For one thing, she only had so many resources to work with. The dummies in the classroom could get her only so far, and though she hoped she never had to mend someone's bones or heal a ruptured organ, it would be nice to know that she was able to.

The spells were complex, too, and life sciences played such a heavy role that if it weren't for the page of notes Boq had helped her create, every other enchantment would soar far over her head. As it was, she often had to reread a spell's description over and over again until she finally pieced together all the details she needed to make sure it would work. It was hard, complicated, often frustrating work but at the end of it all, when she memorized the words she needed and poured her energy into the magic and looked up to see what she had accomplished, she was proud of herself. Here she was, teaching herself entirely new spells, furthering her sorcery without Morrible's control.

She didn't always get it right, though. There were days when her magic just wouldn't be summoned or, even worse, she would lose control and hurt herself. Glinda winced, rubbing the bruise on her hip from just two days ago, when she'd knocked herself back and fallen against one of the desks. Those were the days when she got stuck in her own head, reliving someone's latest taunts or dwelling too much on…well, everything.

Glinda pressed her lips together and stared down at the sorcery book. She had been struggling with this particular spell all week. It was for burns, severe ones, and it dealt with not only repairing the skin, but re-growing it. Glinda's stomach twisted a little. The spell freaked her out, if she was being completely honest, mostly because the thought of being burned that bad was horrifying. Of course, thinking of severe burns made her think of Elphaba, and then she would shudder at the thought of something so painful happening to her.

Finals were getting closer and closer, and soon she would have to stop spending all her time on healing magic. This spell was supposed to be the last she would learn, but though she had everything about it memorized, she could never quite pull it off. Glinda sank into the nearest chair and pressed her fingers to her temples. She was, as usual, tired, and she thought about packing up and calling it a night, but getting up suddenly seemed like far too much work.

The weekend was almost here, and she was looking forward to spending most of it in the library with Boq. Over the past week, rumors about Munchkinland had been flying through campus. There was no talk of the secession, not yet, but everyone was whispering about the new Eminent Thropp. Nikidik had given an impromptu lecture on Munchkinland politics and current events, and every word he spoke seemed to be directed straight at Glinda. She had kept her eyes down on her notes, copying what he wrote on the chalkboard with firm, deliberate strokes until her pen tore through the paper and the pages of her textbook started to flutter next to her.

Boq hadn't been spared from the gossip, either. He never talked about it much, but Glinda had walked into their literature class one day to find him surrounded by Pfannee, Milla, and Shenshen. He sat at his table, eyes locked on the book he was reading.

Glinda had strolled forward and put a hand on Shenshen's shoulder, pulling lightly to move her out of the way. "Excuse me, ladies, but I'd like to take my seat."

Shenshen looked shocked, and she stumbled back a little to stand behind Milla. Glinda sat in the chair beside Boq, pulling out her notes and deliberately ignoring the looks they were giving her until they gave up and retreated.

"Thanks," Boq had mumbled, but Glinda just touched his arm and kept her head down as the professor walked in.

They never discussed what happened, but that evening in the library Boq was distracted. He had pulled his books from his bag without opening them, then shifted in his seat to stare out the window. Glinda let him sit quietly, glancing up occasionally to check on him, until she noticed the tears gathering in his eyes. She quickly packed up their things and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, leading him out of the library. They still didn't talk, but she bought him a cup of tea and they leaned against each other on a little stone bench until he was calm again.

Glinda reached forward and flipped her sorcery book shut. This would probably be her last night in the sorcery building. She had too much real work to do this weekend, including the actual work for this project, and starting next week she would be preparing for her final exams. Besides, every night she snuck in and out of here was a risk. If Morrible caught her…

She slid the book into her bag and began packing up the rest of her things. It was automatic, now, the lap through the room to make sure everything was in its place, the wave of her hand to put out the light, the quick spell under her breath to lock the doors behind her. The next thing she knew she was back in Crage Hall, toeing off her shoes, curling up in Elphaba's bed, thinking about how there was just one more day of classes, and then she would be free for the weekend. And then, after a couple more weeks of the semester, she would be free for much longer, away from Morrible, away from sorcery, just spending time with Boq and the others, for however long it lasted.

Glinda sighed and felt herself relax further into the bed. She thought she felt a hand at her cheek, caressing briefly, soothingly. "Good night, Elphie," she mumbled, already half gone, and she was out before she could imagine a response.

* * *

Elphaba wasn't sleeping. She felt helpless and out of place. It was hard to believe that, not too long ago, she had been at Shiz, with Glinda. It felt like a dream.

She missed it, and, to her surprise, she missed the Emerald City. She missed the creaking walls of the corn exchange, the pile of hay and scratchy blanket that she called a bed. She missed Peric, a lot. She missed his confidence, his amusing cockiness, his quiet, steady compassion. Something had started to pull on her, calling her back to the Emerald City, and she knew she would have to leave soon.

A day came when Nessarose made plans to eat an early dinner with her, and Elphaba spent most of the afternoon pacing her bedroom, trying to decide when and what she should tell her sister. When early evening came and she met Nessa at their usual spot on the back porch, her bag, hat, and broom were tucked neatly in an unused servants' entrance—the same one that her grandfather had helped her sneak through just a few months ago. She didn't know when she would leave, but she wanted to be ready, just in case.

Elphaba and Nessa ate dinner quietly, avoiding each other's eyes. They had barely spoken to each other since that night in the library, and all the arguments of the last week or so stretched out between them. Elphaba had a strange sense of anticipation as the silence dragged on. She didn't know what was going to happen, but she was sick of waiting, so she cleared her throat and, before she could stop herself, said, "I'm leaving."

Nessarose's reaction was calm. She set her fork down and leaned over to place her plate on the floor beside her. Her fingers smoothed across the skirt of her dress. "When?" she asked, watching her hands.

"I don't know," Elphaba admitted. "Soon. I can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"I'm no use here." Elphaba bit the inside of her cheek. It was as good an answer as any, she supposed, but she still didn't like admitting it.

Nessa huffed and scowled down at her fingers, now twisted together in her lap. "You're no use here because you choose not to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elphaba asked, matching Nessa's sharp tone.

"It means that you don't support the secession, so you are unwilling to help."

"How am I supposed to help?" she asked. "What can I do when no one can even know I'm here?"

" _Something_ ," Nessa hissed. "In all your brilliance, you could think of _something_ to do."

Elphaba forced herself to take a breath before answering. "I have thought of something to do," she said slowly, "And I'm doing it, I have been. That's why I need to go, I need to get back to—"

"To the Emerald City?" Nessa scoffed. "Where you can fly around terrorizing people and freeing Animals?"

"We're fighting the Wizard," Elphaba growled.

" _We_?" Nessa raised an eyebrow. "Who is _we_?"

Elphaba stayed silent.

Nessarose sighed. "It doesn't matter," she said. "My point is, you might be fighting for a better Oz, but your loyalties are misplaced."

"Oh? And where should I put them instead?" Elphaba asked, though she was sure she knew what the answer would be.

" _Here_ ," Nessa said firmly. "In Munchkinland, where you can help protect your home."

"Munchkinland isn't my only home," said Elphaba. "Don't you see, Nessa? _Oz_ is our home. Separating it won't fix it."

"Secession is our only choice. Why must you continue to argue with me?"

"Because I don't agree with you. We—"

Nessarose raised her hand, cutting Elphaba off. "You don't have to agree with me, but you don't get to defy me, either."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "What are you—"

"I am the Eminent Thropp. I rule these grounds and this nation, and when I say secession will happen, it will happen."

"Nessa—"

"We might be sisters, Elphaba, but continuing to challenge me and my authority is an act of treason against Munchkinland." Nessarose's voice dropped. "I've concealed you from the Wizard since you arrived. It would be just as easy to turn you over to him."

Elphaba jumped to her feet, glaring, but Nessa's gaze was hard and unaffected.

"You're the Eminent," Elphaba said quietly, "I respect that. But you don't have control over me."

"The Eminent—"

"I'm aware of the law," Elphaba snapped. She turned sharply on her heel, beginning to pace on instinct. "I'm telling you now, it doesn't matter. You don't control me."

"Then you are a traitor to Munchkinland." Nessa's voice was cold.

"I'm fighting for the same things you are," Elphaba said, spinning around to face her. "If you want to brand me as a traitor, then go ahead. Just don't complain when I can't help you anymore."

"Help me?" Nessa asked scathingly. "You help yourself, or your friends in the Emerald City, or random Animals that you've never met, but you don't help me."

Elphaba blinked, hardly believing her own ears. It was so ridiculous, so completely absurd, that for a split second she thought she was going to laugh out loud.

Instead, she shook her head and turned away. Here it was—the proof that she was useless here. If Nessa was so blind, so stubbornly set on not trusting her, then what could Elphaba possibly do? She tightened her cloak around herself and started out of the room, but she paused, lingering in the doorway.

"You never did realize," she said softly. "All my life, I've done everything I possibly can for you."

Nessa stiffened, her eyes widening. "Elphaba, wait," she said, her voice wavering now. She turned her chair, her eyes pleading. "Don't—you have to—Fabala, please—"

"It was never enough." Elphaba tore her gaze away and left the room. "It will never be enough."

* * *

Elphaba flew through the night. Her anger seemed to burn into the broom, urging it faster through the freezing air. It took hours to get from Colwen Grounds to the Emerald City, yet she never stopped—it didn't even seem like an option.

By the time the city came into view, her entire body was numb. Her hands felt frozen to the broom handle and her legs were cramped in their curled up position. She leaned into a dive just inside the wall and skidded to a halt, rolling off the broom and across the ground. For a while she just stayed there, the cold air scraping in and out of her lungs, her body shivering and aching and begging her to just fall asleep right there in whatever alleyway she had crashed into.

"Fae." Something tugged at her hair, pulling her away from unconsciousness. "Fae, get up. You can't stay here."

She swatted halfheartedly, and Peric nipped at her fingers, making her mumble a curse at him. "I'm serious, Fae. Get up, or I'll carry you back myself."

Groaning quietly, Elphaba rolled onto her hands and knees. "Why in Oz are you here?" she asked, her words slurring a little. Peric clicked his beak and nudged her side, pushing against her until she forced herself to her feet.

"I've been watching the skies all week. Now come on. Let's get you inside."

Elphaba let him steer her through the city until the streets became familiar and she could find her own way. They were silent as they made their way to the corn exchange. Elphaba's throat felt thick and her tongue was heavy in her mouth, and she wasn't sure she could talk anyway. Peric scanned the street as she pushed through the front door, then hopped in behind her. Elphaba closed it and fell back against it, resisting the urge to just slump to the floor right there.

Peric eyed her as she wavered. "You look terrible."

"Good. I feel worse." Elphaba pushed off from the door and went over to her bed, trying not to drag her feet. She tossed her broom to the side and pulled off her hat, letting it fall to the floor. "It's a long flight from Colwen Grounds."

"You didn't stop?" he asked. Elphaba shrugged. "Hell and Oz, Fae."

"What's been happening here?" Elphaba asked, easing herself down to her makeshift bed. "What have I missed?"

"A lot of confusion," Peric grumbled. He hopped over and perched on her knee, gently digging in with his talons when her eyes fluttered shut. "You with me?"

Elphaba waved her hand. "Definitely. I'm good. What's going on? What do you already know?"

"We know about the secession," said Peric. "The news hasn't quite reached the rest of the city, but we know, and we're certain the Wizard does, too."

"Nessa—" Elphaba swallowed and cleared her throat, "—the Eminent Thropp has shut down Colwen Grounds until further notice. While she's working with Munchkinland's governors, no other visitors are allowed."

"She's keeping the Wizard out until the last possible moment."

Elphaba nodded. "She's trying to keep the separation peaceful. I just don't see how that's possible."

Peric lowered his head and shifted his wings. "Everyone's been discussing that."

"What are they saying?"

"We're all worried, of course," said Peric. "But the consensus seems to be that Munchkinland itself isn't our problem. Or, at least, there's nothing we can do about it."

"So what _is_ our problem?" Elphaba asked.

"The same as always," said Peric. "We help Animals and the rest of the city's lower class. We fight the Wizard and the people who support him. The only difference is, now, we'll be keeping a special eye out for the city's Munchkinlanders. We can help get people out of the city safely, if they need it."

"It's not enough," Elphaba sighed, pressing her palms to her eyes. "They have lives here. Jobs, homes, families. Even if we can help people escape, they'll still be forced to leave everything behind."

"What else can we do?" Peric asked.

Elphaba just shook her head. "I don't know." Her voice cracked with exhaustion. Peric hopped off her knee and tilted his head at her.

"Get some rest," he said quietly. "Malky will be here in the morning. We can talk more then."

"There's something else, isn't there?" she whispered. Peric raised a foot and scratched gently at the ground. "Peric, what aren't you telling me?"

"In the morning," he said firmly. "Sleep."

Elphaba tried to protest, but the arm holding her up was shaking and her eyes were too heavy to keep open. Peric grabbed her bag and eased it over her head and off her shoulder.

"I don't need you to tuck me in," she grumbled. Peric just chuckled and hopped back.

"I'm glad you're back, Fae. This city is boring without you."

Elphaba responded, but the words jumbled together and never completely left her mouth. Peric grinned, clicking his beak softly, and flew off to his nest in the corner. "Good night, Fae."

* * *

Light was peeking through the boarded up windows of the corn exchange when Elphaba woke up. Her face felt heavy and her body was numb, but one tiny beam of sunlight was directly on her eyes, so she yanked the blanket up over her face and curled to the side.

"Is she awake?" she heard Malky ask.

"I'm not sure. Fae?"

Elphaba groaned in response, pulling the blanket tighter over her head.

"Yeah, she's awake," said Peric.

"Am not."

"We have food," Peric said brightly. "And news, so get over here."

Reluctantly, she kicked off her blanket and rolled to her knees. "What time is it?" she mumbled.

"Late afternoon," Malky said. "Here, I brought this from the underground. The rice should still be warm."

Elphaba shuffled over to where they had spread food across the floor. Malky pushed a bowl over to her.

"What's the news?" she asked. Malky's tail flicked. Peric ducked his head and unfurled his wings. He flew up to his nest, grabbed a roll of paper, and glided back down to them, dropping the paper in Elphaba's lap.

She unrolled it, her eyes widening as she scanned the front. It was one of the Emerald City's newspapers, and bolded across the top of the page were the words, _Who is the Wicked Witch of the West?_

The hairs at the back of her neck stood up as she remembered what the Wizard had said to her on the roof of the bank. He had called her the wicked witch of the west. Was he behind this? Elphaba read on. Below the headline was a rough drawing of a dark figure—tall, slender, complete with the billowing cloak and thick, pointed hat.

"How long has…?"

"The first articles came out after we robbed the bank," Malky said. "There's been nothing about Peric and I, but most of the city's papers have published something about you."

"What exactly are they saying?" Elphaba skimmed over the article. There was a description of her—mostly how about her skin—and a note about how dangerous she was.

"That you have magic, that you're a threat, that you're terrorizing the city," Peric said. "They haven't said anything about you fighting the Wizard. We think they're afraid of getting you support."

"This is talking about the night at the bank," Elphaba said. She furrowed her brow and read aloud, "'The Witch's latest exploit was a violent yet ultimately failed attack on the Emerald Gold Towers. The very little she managed to escape with was personally refunded by the Wizard. Palace officials have stated that she may be working with an Animal accomplice on that night, but ultimately the Witch works for herself and on her own.'"

"Journalists," Peric said, shaking his head. "They never get it right."

Elphaba's mouth quirked up. "They make it sound like I broke into the bank by myself."

"But they also said you were mostly unsuccessful," Malky pointed out. "They're trying to discredit you."

"Well, they're not doing a great job, are they?" Elphaba said. "They write about me terrorizing the city, they give me a dangerous reputation—they even gave me an intimidating nickname, look: _Wicked Witch of the West_."

"You'll be more recognizable now," Malky said. "That's dangerous."

"True, but couldn't it also work to our advantage? If people are already afraid of me? And it's not hurting the rest of the Resistance, since they're set on not letting anyone know I'm working for a bigger cause."

Peric clicked his beak in amusement. "You just like all the attention, don't you?"

Elphaba grinned and shrugged. "I'm just saying, if they're giving us an advantage, we might as well use it."

"We'll have to be careful," Malky said, but his whiskers twitched and he smiled. "But maybe you're right."

"So…what do we do now?" Elphaba rolled up the paper again and set it on the floor.

Malky's head dipped. "We'll keep going as normal, but our focus will be shifting. Right now the Resistance is trying to get as much information as we can. Whatever happens with the secession, we need to be ready for it." He stood and stretched, his back arching and paws spreading out in front of him. Then he sat down again and curled his tail around his front paws. "So, for now, we eat. And while we eat, you tell me everything that's brewing in Munchkinland."

* * *

The three of them slowly got back to work. Malky was back and forth the first few days after Elphaba arrived, bringing news to and from the underground. At Peric's urging, Elphaba spent the time recovering from her travels. She slept and ate and did her best to avoid Peric's attempts to talk to her. When Malky was there, conversation flowed easily between their banter, planning, and companionable quiet, but when she and Peric were left alone, Elphaba withdrew into herself, shying away from the questions in his eyes.

"How was Shiz?" he asked, and Elphaba shrugged and pulled her book closer to her face. "How is Glinda?"

"She's okay." But that felt like a lie, so Elphaba shifted and mumbled, "I don't want to talk about it."

"How is Nessarose?"

"She's under a lot of pressure. She's as well as can be expected."

Peric clicked his beak. "Will she want you to come back?"

"Who knows?" Elphaba shrugged. "She doesn't trust me. We spent most of our time fighting."

"It's hard. You lost your grandfather."

"I barely knew him," she said dismissively.

"You respected him," Peric spoke quietly. "I know you did."

"It doesn't matter," Elphaba insisted.

"Fae—"

But Elphaba would pick up her book and wander off to a different corner of the building, completely tuning him out even if he followed her, and they would stay silent until Malky returned.

To be honest, Elphaba wasn't sure what she should be feeling. She didn't know her grandfather that well—she had only met him a year ago. But Peric was right; she had respected him, and he respected her. Nothing about her daily life had changed, yet it was a strange feeling, knowing that he no longer existed.

She refused to linger on it, though. They had work to do, and that's what she focused on. Thinking about anything else led to thinking about _everything_ else, and that was something she just couldn't afford right now.

That's why it came as a relief when, late one evening, Malky slipped through a corner of the window and leapt gracefully down toward them.

"Please tell me you have orders for us," Elphaba said, setting her book aside.

He nodded. "It's nothing big, just a general store in one of the middle districts."

Peric's gaze met Elphaba's, and something danced in his eyes. "Finally. Let's get to work."


	21. Chapter 21

Glinda stood in front of her mirror, rearranging her curls beneath the knitted white hat she had pulled down over her ears. When she was satisfied, she walked over to her desk, where her coat and bag sat waiting. It had yet to snow at Shiz—something the boys had started to complain about—but it was bitterly cold. Glinda buttoned her coat and slipped her bag over her shoulder, then pulled on her mittens and hurried out the door.

Boq was already sitting at their usual table in the library when she arrived. His arms were crossed on the table in front of him, his chin resting on his forearm, and he looked half-asleep.

"Being productive, I see," Glinda said with a giggle. Boq fluttered his fingers, acknowledging her.

"There's a reason I never studied agriculture," he muttered.

Glinda peered at the book in front of him, recognizing it as the one she had bought him a few weeks ago. "Technically, that's architecture."

"Well, I never studied that, either."

"You could take a break?" Glinda suggested, draping her coat across the back of her chair. "Don't you have class work to do?"

"Not in the mood," he mumbled. He sighed and sat up, propping his elbows on the table and rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. "This guy's comparing irrigation systems, and he's actually proposed a new model that combines the rest. He believes it would be the most efficient, and I think he's right, but I don't really get it. I can't picture it."

Glinda frowned and reached across the table, sliding the book around to read what Boq was talking about. After a moment or two, she pulled a sheet of paper and a pen from her bag.

"What are you doing?"

"Drawing it," she said. Her hand moved swiftly across the page. Boq tried to watch, but she was bent too low over the sketch. "Why irrigation?" she asked.

He leaned back in his chair. "Munchkinland is so dry, especially in the summer. Conserving water is vital to the farms. If we can find a way to improve what we already have, it'll help a lot."

"Could it save your parents' farm?"

"It could help," he said. "At this point, I'm not sure anything can really save it."

"Could secession?"

Boq stared at her, but she never raised her head from the paper. "Maybe. But it could also destroy it."

Glinda finally looked up at him, meeting his eyes for just a second before she glanced down at the book and pointed to a line. "What does this mean?"

He explained it to her and she went back to the sketch. After a few more minutes she leaned back and turned the page toward him. Together they worked through the structure, jotting down notes from the book and labeling different parts. After a while Boq took the paper and tucked it into the book, flipping it shut.

"Thank you," he said. "I really think this could help."

"Good."

"You…" Boq trailed off, and Glinda raised her eyebrows, waiting. "You really should have studied architecture. You're good at it."

She smiled, a bit sadly. "Thanks. I wish… In a different world, maybe I would have."

"A different world where Morrible doesn't exist?" Boq asked.

The corners of her mouth twitched into a less sad smile. "Instead we have a stern yet kindhearted old headmistress, who offers students cookies when they've had a rough day."

"Dillamond would still be alive," Boq sighed, "And we would have multiple Animal and Munchkin professors."

"Elphaba would still be here, and she would have spent most of this semester terrorizing the first years who stared at her," Glinda said wistfully. "I'd be studying architecture, and she'd be competing with you for top marks in life sciences and history."

"After graduation I'd get a job teaching, probably near Shiz. You and Elphie would get an apartment, maybe nearby."

"Fiyero would become leader of his people, and whenever he made visits to the Emerald City, we would all go and crash at Crope and Tibbett's and spend the weekend together."

"Oz. Imagine them living together, wreaking havoc in the Emerald City. Maybe they'd own a bar or something."

Glinda giggled. "And there would be no evil Wizard, no creepy Morrible, no one loses their rights, and we all live happily ever after, the end."

"The land of what might have been," Boq said softly. "It's nice to think about sometimes, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." Glinda turned to look out the window. "Maybe that's why some religions believe in reincarnation. The idea that we all get another chance, that maybe the next life will be better, makes it all a little easier."

Boq was quiet for a moment. He followed her gaze out the window. "Now you're getting all deep on me, Miss Glinda."

Glinda smiled. She tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted, reaching for her bag. "I guess that's a sign that I should get to work."

"Wait, no, that means _I_ have to do homework."

Glinda grinned at him and began pulling out her textbooks.

* * *

Crope, Tibbett, and Fiyero were already at a table when she and Boq arrived at dinner that night. Tibbett was in the middle, holding a newspaper open, and they were all leaning in to read. Fiyero looked up and saw Glinda and Boq approaching. He quickly shoved Tibbett's arm down, batting at him until he folded the paper and set it on his lap, out of sight.

"What's going on?" Glinda asked as she and Boq sat down. "What's with the paper?"

"Just a newspaper," Tibbett said. "My father sends them once in a while."

"Emerald City news?" Boq asked, somewhat warily.

"It's nothing," said Crope. "Boring stuff, mostly. There's an entire section on how so-and-so went to the theatre and what kind of shoes his wife was wearing."

"Sounds boring," Glinda said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can totally see why you'd try to hide it from us."

Fiyero blushed. "We're not—"

"Oh, just show us the paper," Boq said impatiently, holding his hand out. Reluctantly, Tibbett unfolded it and handed it across the table.

Glinda leaned to read over his shoulder. Her eyes widened at the picture, even before she read the headline.

"That's…"

Crope nodded a little. "Our favorite green girl is making headlines."

"Wicked Witch of the West?" Boq asked. "Where in Oz did they get that?"

"Emerald City journalists are a creative bunch," Tibbett said.

"She robbed a bank?" Boq was incredulous.

"Not just any bank," said Crope. "Emerald Gold Towers is personally endorsed by the Wizard."

"There's no way she's working alone," Glinda said, reading further. "This is ridiculous. Violent? This isn't Elphie." She was getting worked up, and she bit her lip hard to keep it from trembling.

"I guarantee that none of this is completely accurate," Crope said gently, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. "They're just trying to discredit her. Someone from the palace is probably paying them and telling them what to say. It's a great way to manipulate public opinion."

Glinda ducked her head, turning away from the paper. _Oz, Elphie, what are you doing?_ she thought.

"Is this the first time she's been in the papers?" Fiyero asked quietly.

"I doubt it," said Boq. "Listen to this. 'Sightings of the Witch started as early as this past fall, though they were mostly contained to the lower town. Claims were usually unreported or ignored, due to the oddity of the Witch's verdigris.'"

"They also talk about other crimes she might be responsible for," Tibbett said. "My guess is it started with the bank thing, but they're probably doing their best to make her into a public enemy now."

Glinda put her face in her hands and leaned against the table. She was starting to feel sick.

"Glinda?"

"Research." Her voice was muffled by her hands. "This all started with _research_."

The boys all looked at each other, shifting around with something close to guilt on their faces.

"Did she know?" Glinda went on. "Back then, when she started, did she know it would come to this?"

Boq shook his head. "How could she?"

 _Yes, how could she,_ Glinda thought, but it sounded more like an accusation in her head. "I don't feel good," she mumbled.

"I'll get you some water," Fiyero said, already standing.

Tibbett reached out and took the paper, refolding it and placing it back on his lap. "I'm worried, too, but she can take care of herself."

Of course she could, but in the middle of a war? With a target painted on her back? She took a breath and sat up slowly, dragging her hands down her face. "It's the Wizard," she said quietly. "He's trying to make it more dangerous for her."

"Yep," said Fiyero, returning. "That's the Wizard for you."

She mumbled a thank you as he handed her a cup of water, but she didn't drink. Instead, she wrapped her hands around the glass, cooling them, then pressed them to her forehead.

"But when has that ever stopped her before?" Crope asked. "I mean, when has that even slowed her down?"

"When she had to leave," Glinda muttered. She flinched at the bitterness in her voice. "Sorry."

"No, you're right," said Boq. "Elphaba is a lot of things, but she's in way over her head here."

Tibbett shifted. "But Crope has a point. She's always been in way over her head, and she's always kept fighting."

"Exactly," Glinda said. "That's what I'm worried about."

* * *

Elphaba closed her eyes and listened hard.

"Soldiers, I think," Malky said. She opened an eye to see his ears twitch. "On both sides of the alley."

A shadow passed over them, and Peric glided silently down. "They're just patrolling," he said quietly.

Elphaba heard footsteps approaching. She pulled her hat down and her cloak up and pressed herself against the wall. Malky backed up next to her, and Peric stood in front of him, spreading his wings just enough that the Cat was covered. Elphaba tucked her hand beneath her cloak and clenched her fist until it was glowing slightly. The three of them tensed, waiting, as men appeared at either end of the alleyway.

The soldiers kept walking. A couple glanced down the alley, but apparently they saw nothing in the shadows, for they just looked ahead and continued on. The footsteps faded, then disappeared altogether, and Elphaba sighed and shook out her hand to get rid of the magic.

"We're getting pretty good at that," Peric said, smirking. He hopped back to give Malky some space. "Looks like you don't need to dye your fur, after all."

Malky lifted a paw and cleaned it. "I would sooner turn myself over to the Gale Force," he said calmly. Peric snorted.

"They're moving out of the middle districts and into the lower," said Elphaba. She leaned back against the wall. "We can't go back to the corn exchange for a while. What do we do?"

Malky glanced up and down the alley. "We can lay low until it's safe to go back. Or," he said, his eyes glinting, "we're close to a few businesses. We can wreak some havoc."

"Oh, _please_ , let's wreak havoc" said Peric. "Tonight's job was too easy. We need something else."

"What's nearby?" Elphaba asked Malky.

He shrugged. "The usual. Some shops, a couple restaurants." He tilted his head and flicked his tail. "I think there's a printing press a few blocks away."

Elphaba tilted her head toward him. "Who owns it?"

"I'm not sure."

"Who cares?" Peric asked, hopping forward. "All the papers in this city are eager for a story about the Witch. Let's go give them one."

Malky looked at Elphaba. "It's up to you, Fae."

She shrugged. "Lead the way."

Time was moving slowly in the Emerald City. Malky spent more and more time with them at the corn exchange, and Peric and Elphaba had, for the most part, moved past the tension that was between them when she first returned to the city. He still watched her, concerned, when he thought she wasn't looking, but Elphaba was content to pretend she didn't notice. After all, she couldn't entirely blame him. She had thrown herself into their work. She did what they were told without asking questions. She was tough and quick and clever. She spent most of their free time practicing magic or flying. She was good, they all were, and they were performing their jobs flawlessly. Even tonight—breaking into a nobleman's stables and freeing the Horses there—they had completed the mission with ease. There wasn't a single problem until they ran into the patrols on their way back home.

Elphaba followed Malky through the streets. Every paper in the city seemed to be focused on her these days. She was sort of amused by it. Sure, she had to be a bit more careful if she went out during the day, but other than that there was no damage done. The only thing that bothered her was the Wizard. He was behind all of it, she knew, but what she didn't know was why. What was he gaining by making her a public figure? She wondered if it was just a plan gone wrong, but something told her that wasn't the case. There was more to this. Maybe this was only the first step.

"Fae?"

Elphaba shook her head and stepped forward, unlocking the door that Malky and Peric were waiting at. They didn't actually do much damage once inside. Peric found a stack of flyers about Elphaba—inserts for the next day's papers—and slashed through them. Malky followed Elphaba to the back of the room, where she was studying a chalkboard covered in story ideas.

"Anything interesting?" he asked, sitting beside her. He tilted his head as she grabbed a piece of paper and started copying something down.

"See that list in the corner?" She pointed to the top right corner of the board with her pen.

"'Emerald City's Top Ten Businesses of the Year,'" Malky read. "Yeah, that'll work."

Peric hopped over. "Sounds like a list of new targets to me."

Elphaba folded her paper and slipped it into her bag. "We can take it back to the underground, see what they think. But for now…" She stepped up to the board and ran her sleeve across it, erasing everything. She grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote across it in big, sloppy letters: _Breaking News: The Wizard Lies, Spreads Corruption throughout Oz._

Malky stood and stretched. "Now there's a story I'd read."

"You're not going to sign it?" Peric asked, disappointed. Elphaba shook her head.

"Don't worry. They'll figure out who did it. Besides, according to them, every crime in the city is the work of the Witch."

Peric clicked his beak, amused. "Think the patrols are gone by now?"

"Probably," said Malky. "Let's go home."

* * *

Elphaba couldn't sleep that day, so she lay in bed, spinning a dirty green penny through the air above her hand. Peric was up in his nest, his head tucked beneath a wing. Malky was in his own corner, curled up in a short cardboard box. Elphaba rose to her elbows and watched him, smirking. His whiskers and tail always twitched as he dreamed, and while she wouldn't dare tell him about it, it was amusing nonetheless.

The others woke up sometime in the afternoon. Malky took the list Elphaba had written down the night before and left for the underground, while Peric and Elphaba ate a little and tried to find a way to waste their time. They ended up playing a makeshift game of catch in the air. There wasn't much room in the corn exchange, so they circled each other tightly, weaving in and out of stacks of crates, pulling off awkward dives and turns to catch the stick they threw back and forth. The game ended when Elphaba tried to throw without holding on to her broom. She tipped to the side, nearly falling off, causing the stick to go wildly off to the side toward the window. Malky appeared at that moment and, smirking, leapt through the air to catch it. He landed gracefully, his tail swishing back and forth. Elphaba, gripping tightly with both hands now, glided down to meet him and Peric on the floor.

"Smooth, Fae."

"Hey, I'm working on it. Not all of us were born with wings."

"You're both crazy," Malky interrupted. "I'm fine with heights, but why anyone would want to soar through the air is beyond me."

Elphaba smirked. "So, what's the news? Are we working tonight?"

"We are," he said. "There's a circus coming to town. Supposedly they're going to be performing for many of the palace officials in a couple of days."

"Will the Wizard be there?" Peric asked. Elphaba narrowed her eyes.

Malky flicked an ear. "We don't know. But that's not the point. Right now their caravan is south of us, travelling. They're scheduled to arrive in the city by noon tomorrow. We don't want them to get that far."

"Okay," said Elphaba. "What are we talking about? Some caged Animals, maybe a lockbox or two?"

"An escort of guards and a carriage full of weaponry," said Malky. "The circus is bad, of course, but it's also a disguise for the Gale Force's latest shipment. That's our main target."

"And we're attacking them while they're still outside the city?" Peric asked.

"Yes. They'll camp a few miles out tonight."

Elphaba glanced up at the window. "We'll sneak out after nightfall. Is the escort made of Gale Force, or just soldiers?"

"A mix, probably," Malky said. "And the owners of the circus will be armed as well. We have our work cut out for us this time."

"Good," said Peric as Elphaba nodded. "We've been waiting for a challenge."

* * *

It was late when they left the corn exchange that night—so late that it was, in fact, early. Peric took off, flying high enough that he was out of sight, but Elphaba stayed on the ground with Malky. Sneaking through the lower districts wasn't actually that hard. Elphaba's cloak and hat hid her skin, and she hobbled down the street, leaning heavily on her broom. Beside her, Malky put on a blank expression, making his eyes seem dull and unintelligent. No doubt they were a strange pair, but there were stranger things in the Emerald City. They made it out without any incident.

The circus wasn't hard to locate, even though it was still a couple miles outside the city walls. Wagons and carriages were arranged in a circle and silhouetted by a handful of camp fires and a dozen or so torches held by guards. Elphaba and Malky made their way to the camp, meeting Peric behind a hill just a couple hundred feet away.

"Any openings?" Elphaba asked.

"On the far side," said Peric. "Three of the soldiers are playing cards. Getting past them will be easy."

"Once we're in, we free the Animals first," Malky said. "It'll be chaos, but we need to keep the guards' attention on us once it starts, to make sure they get out safely."

Elphaba nodded. "After we get them out, what happens?"

"Find the wagon that has the shipment."

"Are we stealing it or destroying it?" Peric asked.

"It doesn't matter," said Malky. "We just have to make sure the Gale Force doesn't get it."

Elphaba looked at the camp. "Malky, you and I can slip past the guards. Peric, you cover us from above."

"Got it."

"Ready?" Malky asked. He stood and stretched, sticking his claws out. Peric unfurled his wings and clicked his beak.

"See you when hell breaks loose," he said, jumping into the air. Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Let's go."

She and Malky crept around to the far side of the camp. Just like Peric had said, three guards were sitting together on boxes, their torches flickering in the dirt beside them, their posts completely abandoned for whatever card game they were playing. Elphaba and Malky waited for one of them to win the round, causing a small uproar among the other two guards, then slipped past them unnoticed.

"It's a good thing they're getting paid," Elphaba muttered as they ducked behind a carriage. Malky snickered, then sat still, sniffing.

"This way," he said, padding forward. Elphaba shifted her grip on her broom and followed. They moved silently through the camp, stopping to hide behind wagons whenever someone passed by. Once or twice, Elphaba felt or saw a shadow glide over them, but she didn't bother looking up. She wouldn't be able to see Peric, anyway.

Malky led them to a cluster of wagons packed with cages. Elphaba wrinkled her nose and clenched her fists. Two Bears were locked up together. A group of Monkeys were cuffed to one of the wagons. Birds of every color and size were crammed in crates. A baby Elephant was tethered to a nearby post. A Tiger lay curled up in her cage, and she looked up at their approach.

"Who are you?" the Tiger's voice was low and smooth.

"No one," Elphaba said. She stepped forward and pressed her fingers to the cage's lock.

"Someone's coming," hissed Malky. Elphaba stepped back, looked over her shoulder, then spread her hands out. She closed her eyes and focused, and a moment later there was an echoing _click_.

All of the cages sprang open. The Monkeys' handcuffs fell loose and the cord tying the Elephant in place snapped. No one moved.

"You're freeing us?" The Elephant's voice shook.

"Only if you hurry," said Malky. "Fae, come on."

Elphaba met the Elephant's eyes and gave a tiny nod before turning and following Malky toward the sound of approaching footsteps. They rounded a corner and nearly ran into a man and a woman, both dressed in their nightgowns. The man held a torch and the woman was wielding a short sword. The four of them froze in their tracks, studying each other.

"Who are you?" the man growled.

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Elphaba drawled. Malky lowered his head, his ears flattening. Behind them, they heard the rattle and rustle of the Animals escaping.

The woman grabbed the man's elbow. "Our animals. They're escaping!"

"Those _Animals_ belong to no one," Malky snarled. The woman pointed her sword at him, though her hand shook as he bristled.

"This is our circus. They belong to us."

"Oh, this is your circus?" Elphaba asked. She looked around the camp. "Well, in that case…" She spun her broom around and swung out, hitting the man in the head. Malky leapt forward, claws out, and knocked the woman to the ground. She screamed as she dropped her sword. Elphaba punched the man in the jaw and he slumped to the ground, out cold. Next to her, the woman fell silent.

"Shall we?" Malky asked, jumping to the ground. Elphaba watched the woman's chest rise and fall for a moment, still breathing.

"Yeah. Where do you think—"

"Over here!" A guard appeared a couple wagons away. He spotted them and raised his gun, but at that moment Peric swooped down, landing on his shoulders and knocking him to the ground.

"Everyone escaped safely," he said, flying over to them. "The Bears and the Tiger took a little detour on the way out, and the north side of the camp is clear of guards."

"Do you know where the shipment of weapons is?" Elphaba asked.

"There are a lot of guards that way," Peric said, nodding to their left. "I'm guessing that's our target."

They heard more footsteps running toward them. Malky lowered his head and backed up, nearly disappearing beneath one of the carriages. "Split up," he growled.

Peric leapt up and vanished into the air. Elphaba grit her teeth and turned, dashing down the way Peric had pointed.

She ducked behind a wagon wheel and peered beneath. Two guards were leaning against the other side of the wagon. Carefully, she climbed to her feet and pressed her palm against the wood. A surge of energy passed through her and the wagon was shoved to the side, taking the guards with it. A few feet behind her, she heard a hiss and another soldier cry out.

"That way! Over there!"

More guards ran toward her, this time in Gale Force uniforms. Elphaba smirked and swung her hand, knocking them back with a blast of fire.

Something moved behind her, and she spun around, grabbing whoever it was and pinning them to the side of a carriage.

"Please!"

It was a Munchkinlander. Elphaba's eyes widened and she eased her grip. "What are you doing here? Do you work here?"

He visibly swallowed. "Th-they hired us," he stammered. "They promised us food a-and shelter and good wages to send home."

Elphaba scoffed. "I'm sure they kept that promise." The Munchkinlander just looked scared. She sighed and let go of him. "Look, you need to get out of here. And not to the city. Do you know what's happening in Munchkinland?"

"Th-the secession."

"Gillikin is about to be the worst place in the world for you. Do you have a place to go to in Munchkinland?"

He nodded. "Most of us were taken from our hometowns to work here."

"Go," said Elphaba. "Tell the others to get out of here. Go back to Munchkinland. You'll be safer there." _Hopefully._

He nodded again and turned to leave, but she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You never saw me here, you understand?" she said.

"Yes. Of course."

Elphaba let him go and he hurried off, disappearing to another side of camp. She shook her head, trying to refocus her thoughts.

"Fae!"

She felt something sharp prick at her shoulders, then she was being shoved to the ground. A gunshot rang out, thundering in her ears. Peric hopped off her and flew at the soldier who had fired the gun. Elphaba rolled to her feet and swung her arm, sending another guard flying.

Malky appeared beside her, fighting with a Gale Force officer. The soldier swung a blade at him, but Malky ducked beneath it and moved forward, clawing at the man's legs. He shouted and fell, and Malky pounced on his head, making sure he stayed down.

Peric flew over and landed beside her.

"Thanks for the take down," she said.

He clicked his beak. "Be more careful, will you? I like it when you're alive."

"Right, got it."

More soldiers and Gale Force appeared, and just like that they were moving again. Malky leapt on top of a carriage, then pounced on a pair of soldiers from above. Elphaba summoned her magic and knocked over another wagon, pinning three guards to the ground. Peric flew forward and knocked an officer down. A woman rushed forward, raising her sword, but he turned and snapped at her hands, forcing her to drop the weapon.

A Gale Force man lifted his gun, aiming at Peric. The Bird looked up at him, eyes widening, but then he smirked. Elphaba grabbed the man, wrenching the gun from his grasp. She wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned in close.

"You're transporting weapons," she said quietly. "Where are they?"

"Why in Oz would I tell you?" he growled. He swung behind him, but Elphaba twisted and shoved him against a wagon. She stepped close and looked him in the eyes.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked.

His eyes widened and sweat gathered at his brow. He nodded slowly. "The Witch."

Her lips twitched. "Good. Now let me ask again. Where is the shipment?"

He pressed his lips together. Elphaba raised her hand and summoned her flames. The soldier shrank back against the wagon, and his eyes darted to the side. Elphaba followed his gaze and grinned.

"Excellent. Thank you." She shoved him away. "That wagon, there," she said, pointing it out to the other two.

"We're still outnumbered here," said Malky. "Let's just destroy them and get out."

"How?" Peric asked.

"Is there gunpowder in there?" Elphaba asked. Malky hopped into the wagon and peered inside.

"Yeah."

"Then I've got this." She raised her arm and the flames jumped forward, catching the wagon's side.

"I'm out," said Peric, already leaping into the air.

"Want a lift?" Elphaba asked Malky, swinging onto her broom.

"No way." He turned and ran, and Elphaba kicked off the ground, following. A few seconds later they heard the explosion.

Peric flew up to her, his eyes glinting. "Now _that_ was fun."

Elphaba laughed. Below, Malky was a white streak on the dark ground, keeping an even pace with them. Elphaba closed her eyes and sat up on her broom. The wind rushed around and through her, making her feel, just for a moment, invincible.


	22. Chapter 22

Finals arrived at Shiz, and Glinda felt significantly calmer than she had the year before. Mathematics was easy. She was confident about literature. With Boq's help, she knew most of what was on the life sciences exam. Even Nikidik's test wouldn't be bad, so long as he didn't mess with her answers and fail her on purpose. The only thing that worried her, really, was sorcery.

She had finished her project the week before and turned it in to Morrible's desk. It was quickly buried under all her classmates' papers, but she could feel Morrible's eyes burning into her as she turned and left with the other students.

"Do you think she'll fail you?" Boq asked one afternoon, halfway through the week. "I mean, she doesn't like you, and she hates that you wrote about healing magic."

"Maybe she'll do it to spite you," Crope said cheerfully. Glinda gave him a look.

"I doubt it," she said. "That paper is the best thing I've ever turned in, and not even she can deny it. Besides, she still wants me to take that job, remember? No, I'm not worried about my grade."

"Then, what _are_ you worried about?" asked Fiyero.

Glinda shrugged and looked off to the side. "The practical exam."

It was her last test of the week. The boys were already done, and they all promised to meet afterward for dinner. Glinda tried not to worry, to keep her mind clear, as she entered Morrible's classroom.

The headmistress was walking through the room, handing back their papers. She scowled as she caught sight of Glinda, but she handed her paper over. Glinda looked down and managed to smile smiled. She had gotten top marks.

Morrible passed out the last of the papers and moved to the front of the classroom. "You all know the drill," she said. "I'll call you back one at a time for the practical exam. If you wish, you may practice while you wait, but please, don't destroy anything. That means you, Miss Glinda."

Glinda's face burned as Madame Morrible called the first student and disappeared into a side room. A few of her classmates snickered, and others gave her sympathetic glances, but Glinda ignored them all and leaned against the wall in a corner of the room. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Morrible went through the class alphabetically, which meant she would be last. The wait was unnerving, but Glinda knew that it was nothing compared to what would happen when Morrible finally called her name.

"Glinda."

She screwed her eyes shut, brow furrowing. She thought she felt hands on her arms, rubbing gently.

"You can do this. You're the bravest girl I know, Glinda."

"Miss Glinda."

She opened her eyes, sucking in a breath. The classroom was empty, and Morrible was standing in the doorway, her eyes glinting.

"Come on, I haven't got all day."

Glinda swallowed and wiped her palms on her dress. She followed Morrible into the side room and tried to steady her breathing.

Morrible picked up her clipboard, pursed her lips, then set it back down. She backed up and leaned against the wall, looking impassively at Glinda.

"How are you today, Miss Glinda?"

"Fine."

Amusement flickered across Morrible's face. "Clearly. Shall we begin? Since you did so well on your research, I thought we might start with healing spells."

Morrible watched as Glinda silently did what she was told. She cast a few healing spells—flawlessly, to her relief—and Morrible's expression turned ugly. She worked quickly through some of the basic spells they had learned last year, but the look on Morrible's face was making her uneasy. The headmistress's eyes were dark as she gave Glinda the next set of spells.

Glinda tried her hardest. She kept a tight rein on her magic and poured all of her focus into each task, but the energy it took to stay in control was draining. Morrible said nothing other than her instructions, but she glared when Glinda succeeded and sneered when she failed.

When Morrible raised her hand to stop her, Glinda was breathing hard and trying not to wince at her performance.

"I have just one more task for you," she said, smirking as Glinda's shoulders slumped. "Do you remember a few months ago, when I had you cast opposing spells?"

Glinda's knees wobbled. "Madame, I don't—I can't—"

"You can, and you will," said Morrible.

"You made all the students do this?"

Morrible's gaze was hard. "No. I only expect more from those who have had private sessions with me all semester."

Glinda grit her teeth and resisted the urge to cry. She couldn't do this. She didn't have enough energy left, let alone the control it took. Still, she wasn't getting out of here until she tried. "Am I casting fire and ice again?" she asked.

"Yes, but not in here. I don't need you setting the place on fire." They walked back out to the classroom and Morrible called out, "Grommetik?"

Glinda froze. Her heart leapt to her throat and she shivered as the tiktok creature wheeled into the room, carrying a metal bucket for the target. It placed it in front of her, then moved a few feet back.

"You've seen my assistant around campus, haven't you, Miss Glinda?" Morrible's voice was mocking. Glinda started trembling. Of course she had seen it. Last year, when she had fallen asleep in the library, and Elphie had come to get her. Elphaba had been angry, shoving Glinda's things into her bag and telling her to hurry. They had snuck through the building, past Grommetik, who was searching for them.

"The spells, Miss Glinda. I'm waiting."

Glinda had cast a spell, distracting the creepy tiktok thing, and Elphaba had led them to the cellar. The doors had been sealed shut. Morrible had been right behind them. They were trapped, and Elphaba was panicking. Glinda was panicking, too, with Elphaba helpless beside her and Morrible looming behind them.

And was panicking now, with Morrible looming in front of her, her eyes shining maliciously, as if she knew exactly what Glinda was thinking. _She had a knife,_ Elphaba had said that night. The knife that she had used to murder Dr. Dillamond. The one she would just as easily use to murder Elphaba or Glinda.

The breath rushed out of Glinda's chest and she doubled over, wheezing. An entire semester she had spent with the woman that had tried to kill her. How easy would it have been, all year long, for Morrible to murder her? All those hours spent alone in her classroom or her office. How was Glinda even still alive?

Morrible grabbed her by the arms, yanking her upright, and Glinda choked out a cry. She thrust her hands out without thinking, and her magic rushed to the surface, throwing Morrible back in a blast of heat.

The headmistress scrambled to her feet, growling. Grommetik wheeled forward, but Morrible held her arm out, stopping it. Glinda stumbled back. Her magic was still surging through her. The air around her hummed with energy.

"You are going to destroy yourself, Miss Glinda," said Morrible, stepping forward.

"Stay away from me!"

The headmistress stopped. Her expression was dangerous, and Glinda thought she saw a flicker of magic behind her. But, as soon as she caught a glimpse of it, it was gone. Morrible folded her arms across her chest and waved a hand dismissively.

"You have proven yourself absolutely useless," she said quietly. "It is clear now that we will have to work harder in the future. We will continue our sessions throughout Lurlinemas."

"You can't—"

"I am your mentor and your headmistress. I assure you, Miss Glinda, I can." Morrible narrowed her eyes. "Now get out of my classroom."

Glinda fled. She ran until she was out of the room, out of the sorcery building, and then she kept running until the magic humming beneath her skin was overwhelming and she all but collapsed against the back of a bench on the sidewalk. She gasped for breath and gripped the wood until her knuckles turned white. The bench grew warm beneath her fingers, and she jerked back before it could light on fire.

Glinda shook her hands out. She needed to calm down and regain some semblance of control. It was a terrible idea, in this state, to go meet the boys for dinner. But they knew she had been stressed about the exam. If she didn't show up, would they come looking for her? Besides, she couldn't go back to Crage Hall, to her empty room. Not like this.

 _I could've died. I could've died._ It was all she could think about. Glinda sank onto the bench and leaned forward, holding her head in her hands. She pressed her palms to her eyes and counted slowly through each inhale and exhale. After a minute or two, the trembling had subsided.

"Glinda!" Boq was passing by her, heading toward the café. He stopped and waved, but his smile faded as she looked up. He walked toward her. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she managed, avoiding his gaze. "Just cold."

He looked skeptical. Glinda could still feel the magic running through her, looking for a way out, but she shoved it aside and stood up.

"If you say so," he said slowly. He tried to meet her eyes, but when he couldn't he stepped back and gestured to the side. "Shall we, then?"

She nodded a little and followed him into the café. They made their way to the usual table in the back, where Fiyero, Crope, and Tibbett were already seated.

Glinda sank into the chair next to Fiyero. He touched her shoulder gently as Boq sat on her other side.

"Glinda?"

She shook her head. "Don't mind me," she said quietly.

"Your sorcery exam?"

"I don't want to talk about it." The silverware in front of her was starting to rattle. She took a deep breath and tried to be comforted by Fiyero's hand on her shoulder, but she could barely feel it. She could barely hear them as they changed the subject. Their voices sounded muffled in her ears, drowned out by the sound of her blood rushing.

"Glinda?" Crope's voice was soft. "Hon, you're starting to scare us."

She tried to swallow, but her throat was too tight. "Last year," she rasped. "Elphie and I, we were in the library. It was after hours."

She screwed her eyes shut, avoiding looking at them. She didn't want to tell them, but it was the only thing she could think about. Fiyero touched her shoulder again, but she flinched away.

"Morrible, she… And all this year, she could've…"

"Hey, slow down," Fiyero said gently. "You're not making any sense."

She knew she wasn't, but did it matter? Could they understand? How could she explain what it felt like, realizing that, by all logic, she shouldn't even be alive right now?

She looked up again just as Boq reached for her.

"Don't touch me," she snapped. Boq recoiled, and with the guilt that flooded through her came her magic, overwhelming again. She jumped to her feet and stumbled out of the café. The boys called after her, and she could hear them getting up and following, but she was running as soon as she was out the door.

The light was fading around campus. Glinda paid no attention to where she was going. She kept her head down and her shoulders hunched together as she hurried through the campus. She thought she heard Boq and Fiyero behind her, but she just moved faster, trying to lose them.

Suddenly she realized she was heading for Crage Hall, and she was taking the path that went across the Suicide Canal. Glinda froze, staring at the bridge. She could see the crack in the concrete, the one that she had made weeks ago. The air hummed around her and she stumbled back, intent on finding another way home.

"Miss Glinda!" someone called, delighted. Glinda almost sobbed. How could her luck be this bad?

Pfannee and Avaric came into view, both grinning. "And here we thought we wouldn't see you again this semester," said Avaric.

"Leave me alone," Glinda growled. She heard Fiyero's voice, calling her name. She needed to get out of here. Blindly, she brushed past Avaric and Pfannee.

"Hold on," Pfannee said, stopping her. "We'll be gone for an entire month, and this is how you say goodbye?"

"Pfannee, I'm warning you—"

Avaric laughed. "Are you seriously threatening us? Without the green freak to back you up?"

"I swear to Oz, if you don't let me go—"

"You'll what?" Avaric grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back. Glinda grit her teeth against the energy that swept through her. "What are you going to do?"

He reached for her again, and this time she fought back, knocking his hands away. Avaric's smirk shifted into a snarl. He raised his hand, but before he could even swing the air crackled, and he was thrown back by a rush of wind.

Pfannee shrieked. Glinda cried out too, panic jolting through her, but it was too late. The wind roared, picking up mud and water from the canal and swirling it around them. She had lost control, and she couldn't get it back. She saw Pfannee pull Avaric to his feet and scramble back. She heard them yell something at her as they fled, but it was muted, and the words didn't register. She watched—numbly, as if it were happening to someone else—two different figures approach.

Fiyero reached for her hand, but she couldn't feel it. She heard Boq shouting her name, felt something tug on one of her arms, but there was no reaction.

"Glinda, please!"

She shook her head violently, coughing out a sob, and fell to her knees, but still the wind screamed around them. Glinda could feel the energy pouring out from her, but she couldn't get a grip on it. She didn't even have the strength to try.

"Boq!" Fiyero yelled. "Come on, it's no use!"

Boq shook his head, even as he stumbled and was nearly toppled by the wind. "Glinda, I know you can hear us!"

Fiyero grabbed him. "There's nothing we can do. Let's get out of here before—" He cut off, cursing and ducking as the branch of a nearby tree snapped and flew by his head. "Boq, come on!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw them back away, retreating down the path. She fell forward on her hands and knees. She didn't understand how she could still be casting magic. There was nothing left inside her.

Glinda wasn't sure how long it took for the storm to subside, but when it did it was pitch black. Or maybe her eyes were just closed. She was flat on the ground, soaking wet, freezing, but she didn't even have the energy to shiver. She wondered if she was even awake.

Hands grabbed her, pulling her roughly to her feet. Her arm was yanked to the side, wrapped around someone's shoulders, and then she was being half-dragged across campus. Glinda's eyes fluttered. She recognized the sorcery building ahead of them, and suddenly she realized who was carrying her. A small, panicked noise escaped her throat and she tried to pull away, but instead her legs gave out and she pitched forward, everything growing dark again.

* * *

Glinda's head felt heavy. She tried to open her eyes, but the effort was just too much. It didn't matter. She knew where she was. The scratch of the old sheets beneath her, the smell of fresh parchment and pinewood, the embrace of warm, smooth arms around her—it was all familiar.

She sighed and opened her eyes. Everything was hazy, blurry. Her brow furrowed, and she was sure that something wasn't right, but then Elphie spoke in her ear, and whatever doubt she had was forgotten.

"I thought you said you hadn't made a habit of this." There was worry in Elphaba's voice, but it was masked by amusement.

"Elphie?" Glinda tried to turn around, but Elphaba's arms tightened around her, holding her in place.

"You need to take care of yourself," said Elphaba. She sighed. "I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

"I am taking care of myself."

She felt Elphaba shake her head. Glinda scowled and squirmed, trying once again to move and face Elphie, but her limbs were too heavy. Her eyes were sliding shut. She blinked furiously, lifting her head to look at Elphaba…

Just like that, the vision vanished. Elphaba wasn't there. Glinda jerked, her eyes flying open. She was lying on the floor, her head propped on a small, ugly pillow. She pushed herself up to her knees and looked around. This was Madame Morrible's office, and sitting at the desk was the headmistress herself.

"Welcome back to the living, Miss Glinda." Her voice was quiet, but it held an edge.

Glinda gulped. She knew what Morrible was going to say. There was no avoiding it, no clever words that could help her slip away. Her head pounded, but she resisted the urge to raise her hand and rub at her temples.

"Perhaps you're still a bit disoriented," said Morrible. "Let me recount the events of this evening for you. After a sloppy performance for your final exam, you lost control and attacked me. When I sent you away I knew you were too dangerous to wander campus on your own, so I followed you. Not ten minutes later, I watched you run out of the café, once again out of control. You attacked Miss Pfannee and Master Avaric at the Suicide Canal, and even after they left and your friends attempted to calm you down, you could not stop your magic."

Glinda shifted away, scooting so her back was against the wall. She hugged her knees to her chest, noting for the first time the mud that was drying on her clothes and skin. She shivered.

Morrible went on. "By some miracle, you stopped before the drain of the spells could kill you, but what if you hadn't? And what if you had hurt one of the other students? You were very lucky tonight. I don't expect you'll have that fortune again." Morrible leaned forward. "Miss Glinda, you need help. Look at yourself. If this doesn't change, terrible things will happen. You need to take my offer."

"Why does the Wizard want someone who's falling apart?" Glinda mumbled.

"Because you have great power. You just need to learn to control it. You need to be away from this place."

As if that was really the truth. Glinda was silent. She couldn't leave Shiz—it was all she had left. And yet, staying was beginning to seem like less and less of an option.

"No," she said, but she sounded distracted, even to herself. "I told you, I won't work for him. I refuse."

Morrible's palm slammed down on her desk, making Glinda flinch. "You can't go on this way. If you don't take care of this, then I'll be forced to take care of it for you, and it won't be in ways as luxurious as a job in the Emerald City."

"What are you going to do? Lock me up? Make me disappear?"

"Surely you aren't underestimating me." Morrible's voice was soft. "Not after all that happened last year."

Glinda couldn't help it. She shuddered and bit down on her lip, barely holding back a whimper. Morrible tilted her head back.

"I thought so. You can't escape this. You've been trying to all semester, and look where it's gotten you: passed out on the floor of my office, mumbling pathetically about your long lost green freak."

Blood rushed to Glinda's face and she looked down, her eyes stinging.

"I'm giving you a week, Miss Glinda, to make your final decision. I want you to seriously think about your options here. Until then, I don't want to see you. Get out."

Biting her lip, Glinda climbed to her feet and left the office.

It was freezing outside and way past nightfall. Glinda rubbed her arms and stumbled out of the sorcery building. She didn't even think about going to Crage Hall, despite the fact that she was so tired she felt like collapsing again. Instead she walked past all the main buildings and to the far side of campus, where the sidewalk gave way to dirt paths.

When she reached Dillamond's memorial, she was almost surprised to see the flames still burning steadily. It was comforting, knowing that she had done at least one thing right. She let out a quiet groan as she sank to the ground and leaned back against the tree trunk.

Her brow furrowed as she heard the footsteps, but she couldn't muster the energy to look up.

"I wondered if you'd come here," said Boq.

"Go away."

"Glinda—"

"Please," she whimpered. "I don't want to…"

"You won't hurt me. You weren't in danger of hurting any of us. Just scaring us."

She hugged her knees to her chest. "That's not true. I don't have control anymore."

Boq sighed. He sat down beside her, letting his head fall back against the tree. "We watched Morrible carry you to the sorcery building," he said. "All of us. Fiyero was holding me back. We wanted to help, but there was nothing…" He cleared his throat. "The others stayed until we saw you leave. We didn't want to overwhelm you, so they headed home."

"They made you come after me?"

"I wanted to." He touched her shoulder, just briefly. "What did Morrible say?"

Glinda sniffed. "She offered me the job again."

"You're kidding." When she was silent, Boq shifted. "Glinda, please tell me—"

"I said no," she told him quickly. "It's just…she keeps bringing it up. And I keep doing…this." She gestured helplessly in front of her. "I feel like I'm running out of options."

Boq took a shaky breath. "You're not considering it. You can't be."

Glinda rubbed at a bit of dried mud on her knee, scraping it off. "I'm afraid of what will happen if I don't," she said quietly.

"And if you do?" Boq demanded. "What happens then? You work for the Wizard? You stay under Morrible's control? Are you _insane_? What are you thinking? What would Elphie think?"

"It doesn't matter what Elphaba would think," Glinda snapped. "It's because of her that this is happening in the first place. If she was still here, my magic would be fine. Morrible wouldn't be trying to control me. You think I don't know what this is really about? They want to use me to get to Elphie. I _know_ that."

Boq stayed silent. Glinda dug her fingers into her hair and coughed, trying not to cry. "She abandoned us. She ran off, and now we have to deal with the mess that was left behind. I don't want to do this, Boq, but what if I don't have a _choice_?"

"You're mad at her." There was realization in Boq's voice.

Glinda almost laughed. "I'm _furious_." She pushed her hair back and sighed, softening. "I know why she left. I know she believed it was the best option, and who knows, maybe she was right. But that doesn't change the fact that she's gone."

"It still hurts," Boq said softly.

"And it's still her fault," Glinda breathed.

"Do you really believe that?"

She lifted her shoulder. "I don't know. Some days, yeah."

"She didn't mean to hurt you."

"And yet." Glinda meant to continue, but her voice broke and she buried her face in her knees instead. She was too exhausted to cry, but she felt the pressure in her chest, tearing her apart. Boq wrapped an arm around her, and she was too tired to shrug him off.

"Want me to walk you home?"

"You can't," Glinda breathed into her knees. "She's not here."

"Sorry?"

Glinda took a breath and lifted her head. "Sure," she whispered. "Let's go."


	23. Chapter 23

One week. Morrible had given her a week to make an impossible decision.

It shouldn't have been hard. Glinda wanted to stay at Shiz. She wanted to be with Boq and Fiyero and Crope and Tibbett, she wanted to drop sorcery and study architecture, and she wanted to never deal with Morrible again. But, more and more, that didn't seem like an option.

She felt trapped, and she was in denial about it. The offer couldn't be her only option. She couldn't be forced into moving to the Emerald City, leaving everything she knew behind, and working for the people who were ruining Oz. There had to be another way.

After spending the weekend curled up in Elphaba's bed, she forced herself to get dressed and go find the boys. A hush had fallen over the campus, now that most of the students had gone home for winter, and she felt a bit of her anxiety fade away into the freezing morning.

"Good morning, Glinda," Crope said as she joined them at the café. "Might I say, that was one hell of a way to start winter break."

Glinda's lips twitched. "Thank you, Crope."

Tibbett leaned in conspiratorially. "Do you think you passed?" he whispered.

This time, Glinda laughed out loud. "With flying colors," she said, rolling her eyes. The tension at the table eased, and Glinda sat back. "I don't think it matters, really. She'll do what she wants, and there's not much I can do to change it."

"The job offer," Boq said quietly.

"Yeah." Glinda sighed. "She gave me a week to decide."

"Wait, that sorcery position in the Emerald City?" Fiyero asked. "I thought you said no ages ago."

"She keeps bringing it up," said Glinda. "If I keep turning it down, I don't…" She trailed off. She didn't want to say Morrible had threatened her. They didn't need to worry about that.

"She gave you a week to decide, but she's forcing you to say yes?" Tibbett rolled his eyes. "How considerate of her."

Glinda folded her arms across the table and rest her head on them. "To be fair, it would help my magic. I can't keep blowing up like I did last week."

"Do you really think going to the Emerald City with _Morrible_ is going to help?" Fiyero asked. "Because, come on. There has to be a better way."

She shifted in her seat, but Boq responded before she could.

"What about all your research on healing spells?" he said. "It was excellent, and that was without any help. I don't think teachers are the solution. I think you need to stay away from Morrible."

"I _can't_ stay away from her," Glinda protested. "I was supposed to have a month away from her, but yesterday she said we would continue our sessions throughout break. Not that it matters, because now she's pushing this offer, and I can't escape it. Believe me, I would love to never see her again. She's just not making that an option."

"So…what are you going to tell her?" Fiyero asked quietly.

Glinda shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered. "I just don't know."

* * *

Elphaba was tired. The broom dangled loosely in her hand and she could barely keep her feet from dragging across the ground.

There were soldiers out tonight, wandering through the city. The three of them had split up on their way home, figuring it would be easier to sneak past the guards individually. Malky was somewhere nearby, leaping gracefully from rooftop to rooftop. Once in a while she heard a quiet, unassuming meow. No one would bother him—even if he was spotted, they would just assume he was a regular cat. Peric had disappeared, too, flying overhead, but she saw no trace of him.

Elphaba herself was left to creep through alleyways. The broom was too conspicuous for her to join Peric in the sky, and it wasn't like she could follow Malky. She sighed and leaned against the wall as a pair of soldiers walked by. Her eyes slid closed, and she had to blink hard to get them to open again.

It wasn't even that late. She shouldn't have been so tired, but her magic had drained her, and she wasn't sleeping well, and…

"You're falling behind, Fae."

Elphaba looked up, but she only caught a glimpse of Malky's tail as he disappeared. She pushed off the wall and kept going. It wasn't far now. She imagined slipping into the corn exchange and collapsing on her bed. Her hand reached up, fingers wrapping instinctively in the scarf around her neck.

"What was that?"

She stepped back, pressing herself to the wall. _Stupid,_ she cursed herself. The two guards at the end of the alley paused.

"What?"

"I thought I saw…"

There was a quiet meow, and one of the guards groaned.

"Is _that_ what you saw? Some dumb cat?"

Elphaba heard Malky hiss and run off.

"I guess," said one of the guards. Elphaba let out a breath as they kept walking.

"Nice going, Fae," Peric said when they met outside the corn exchange a few minutes later. She ignored him and went in, heading straight for her bed, but Peric flew over and landed on it before she could get there.

Elphaba groaned. "Will you drop it? I'm exhausted. I slipped up. It won't happen again."

"Yes it will," said Peric. "You're exhausted because you're not taking care of yourself."

"Who says I'm not taking care of myself?"

"You don't sleep, you pour yourself into every job we have—"

"That's a bad thing?"

"When you drain yourself so much that you can't make it home safely, yes."

She rolled her eyes and tossed her broom to the side. Malky had slipped away to his corner, but she could see the light reflecting off his eyes as he watched them, unblinking.

"Does it matter?" she asked, shaking her head. "I mess up once, and suddenly I need an intervention?"

Peric shifted his wings. "I'm worried about you."

"Fine. Worry about me. But we're still getting stuff done, aren't we? So it doesn't matter."

"It does, though," he said quietly. "You made a tiny mistake tonight, but what about next time? What happens when you step out in front of a guard and Malky isn't there? What happens when you're exhausted and surrounded and can't fight your way out? Because you can deny it all you want, Fae, but this won't be the last time this happens. Not if you keep going like this."

"What do you want me to do, then?" She threw her arms up and turned away, beginning to pace. "You want me to sleep? I've tried. Want me to slow down? I can't. You wanted to be noticed by the Resistance, didn't you? Well, here we are, getting mission after mission and pulling them off. So what's the problem? What would you have me do?"

"Just—" Peric snapped his beak, his eyes hard. "Stop acting like everything is fine!"

Elphaba stopped short. Slowly, she turned to look at him.

"You go on like nothing matters, like the only thing that's important is our job, but that's not true," he said.

She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the ground. "Our job is the most important thing," she muttered.

Peric snapped his beak again. "Your grandfather died. Your sister is furious with you. You're separated from Glinda. You can't keep pretending like none of that is hurting you."

"So what?" She walked over to her bed and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting next to him. She rubbed her forehead and continued to glare at the floor. "I made sacrifices. Who hasn't?"

"But you've left so much behind, and you won't even acknowledge it." Peric's voice was soft. "I know how much you loved Shiz, and it was taken away from you after such a short time. Yet, you act like it never existed."

"What do you expect?" she snapped. "For me to just pour my heart out? You know me better than that."

"I expect you to realize that you're not invincible."

Elphaba scoffed. "I know I'm not invincible. I'm the farthest thing from it."

"Fae…"

She looked across the room, where Malky was still watching, his eyes flat and glowing in the light. He blinked slowly, then turned away, curling up into his corner. Elphaba sighed. She reached to the side and grabbed her broom, then pushed herself to her feet.

"Where are you going?"

She ignored Peric and flew out the window on the second story. She landed easily on the roof and walked over to the edge, settling down with her knees hugged to her chest and the broom beside her. Sighing, she leaned forward and set her chin on her knees, gazing across the Emerald City. Parts of it were beautiful and bright, others were dark and filthy, but they all stretched out before her, oblivious and apathetic to her existence.

Yes, she had loved Shiz. It had meant everything to her. Even now, when she knew it was impossible, she longed to go back. But it didn't matter. She couldn't. And thinking about it only made her sick to her stomach, so she ignored it.

Well, she tried to, at least.

Elphaba closed her eyes and curled tighter, pressing her forehead to her knees. She wanted to see Glinda again, but she refused to seriously consider the idea. How could she keep putting her in danger? Besides—and this was, perhaps, even worse—returning to Shiz had caused even more pain. Elphaba winced, remembering Glinda collapsing to the floor, sobbing, all because she knew Elphaba had to leave again.

 _What happens to us?_ Glinda had asked her, but she didn't have an answer. Not then, and not now. So what could she do? What could Peric possibly expect from her? Of course she poured herself into their missions. They were the only thing that made sense.

A small noise escaped from the back of her throat, and she bit the fabric at her knee, trying to force it back down. It didn't matter. As long as they got through each night, none of it mattered.

* * *

Under different circumstances, spending winter break at Shiz would have been absolutely wonderful.

With almost no other students around, they were bothered by no one. Even the faculty and staff that were still on campus left them alone. Boq and Fiyero convinced the man who ran the boys' library to allow Glinda in, and since it was winter break, the librarians paid the group no attention.

"It's gorgeous in here," Glinda said as they led her through the building. "And so different from the girls' library. Did you see the sculpting out front? It's from a completely different era. And the arches off the main hall? This had to have been built at least a century before."

Fiyero grinned and nudged her. "Nerd."

She smiled and followed them. They stayed on the first floor, where there were less bookshelves and more work spaces. The tables were elegantly carved from some sort of dark wood, and most of the chairs were cushioned. Boq took them to the far side of the floor, where it opened up into a small lounge-type area.

"Oh Oz, you guys have a _fireplace_?"

Crope laughed and hopped into one of the bigger chairs. Tibbett followed and immediately curled up with him. Fiyero took another chair, stretching across it.

"Beats hanging out at the café, doesn't it?" said Tibbett. "And, even better, Morrible has no reason to come here."

Boq sat cross-legged on the floor near the fireplace. Glinda stretched out on her side near him, smiling as the heat from the fire warmed her back. "This is amazing. Let's hang out here all the time."

"It's not as fun during the semester," Fiyero assured her. "The librarians here can get pretty grouchy."

"Especially when Boq is working," said Crope.

"Hey!"

"So, my father sent another newspaper," Tibbett said suddenly. Glinda propped her head on her fist and looked at him.

"Anything about Elphie?" she asked.

Tibbett shook his head. "No, actually. It was talking about the secession."

Boq leaned forward. "What about it?"

"It's not official yet, is it?" Fiyero asked. "Surely we would have heard…"

"No, it's not official. The article was talking about Colwen Grounds. Apparently the Eminent is receiving visitors again."

"Why?" Glinda tilted her head. "What's the point, if Munchkinland is just going to separate from Oz?"

"It means the announcement will be soon," said Boq. "Any day now, probably. If Colwen Grounds is open when they declare independence, it's less rebellious."

"It's pretty rebellious anyway," Crope said.

"Well, yeah, but our options are kind of limited."

"Will you have to leave?" Fiyero asked quietly.

Boq shifted, bringing his knees to his chest. "Yeah, eventually. After treaties are made—or not made, as the case may be—with the Wizard." He looked up at Tibbett. "Did they say anything about the Eminent travelling to the Emerald City?"

"No," said Tibbett.

"Would they?" Glinda asked. "I mean, if I was the ruler of Munchkinland, I wouldn't want people to know when I'm travelling. Especially if I was about to declare independence."

"Especially if you were related to Elphaba," Crope added, grinning slightly. "Bet you anything secrecy runs in the family."

"I wonder what the Wizard is doing," said Fiyero. "I mean, everyone is talking about the secession, but the Wizard hasn't made any reaction. Surely he would have made a statement by now, right?"

"Maybe he's waiting," Tibbett said. "The Eminent is young. He probably thinks he can control her if he plays it right."

Glinda let out a short laugh. "He's sorely mistaken. Like Crope said, she's related to Elphaba. She won't be controlled by anyone."

"Then there's hope after all." Boq looked around at each of them. "You all know I don't want to leave Shiz, but part of me is glad Munchkinland is defying the Wizard."

Fiyero nodded. "Someone needed to."

Glinda looked at Crope and Tibbett, then at the other two. "I agree, but how many people are going to get hurt in the process? How many relationships will be torn apart?"

Boq stretched his legs out in front of him. "You're right. Everything is going to change."

"Again," Fiyero muttered. Glinda's shoulders sagged.

"But," Boq said slowly, "we can't stop it. We might as well go with it, and do what we can to make the change a good one."

Crope's hand found Tibbett's, and their fingers intertwined. Fiyero tilted his head forward, his eyes glowing warmly. Boq met her gaze, the corner of his mouth lifting into a sad smile.

Glinda took a deep breath. She thought, just for a second, about Morrible's offer. But then she pushed it away and thought instead of her friends, and the fire crackling warmly behind her, and the little bit of hope that hovered between all of them in that moment, and she exhaled with a smile.

"You're right, Boq," she whispered, nodding. "You're absolutely right."

* * *

Halfway through the week, they decided to leave campus and wander around town for a day. The boys seemed intent on keeping Glinda away from Morrible's reach, and even though she knew they couldn't put off her decision forever, she was grateful.

Unlike the campus, Shiz was bustling. People hurried to and from shops, trying to complete all their shopping before the holiday really set in. Glinda and the others did their best to stay out of the way as they walked casually around the town. Glinda bought a sketch book and a nice set of pencils. It was an impulse, but she missed designing buildings, and she thought that, even if Morrible was forcing her to continue with sorcery, she could still dabble in architecture on her own time. If she ever had any.

They made their usual round through the bookstore. Crope bought a raunchy romance novel and gave it to Tibbett with a smirk. "Happy early Lurlinemas," he said, kissing his cheek. Glinda quickly turned away from them and followed Boq further into the store.

Boq lingered in front of an aisle, then went through it. Glinda looked up at the sign on top of the shelf: _History._ He grabbed a book, checked the price, then hesitated. After a moment or two, he tucked it under his arm and moved to the next row of shelves. _Life Sciences._

Glinda leaned against a shelf and watched him pick up another book. He held them both in his hands, clearly torn, but then his jaw set and he went up to the counter to pay for them. Glinda's heart sank. All year, Boq had been adamant about not spending money, yet now he bought two books just for his own pleasure. He was preparing to go home, and treating himself to make up for the fact that he would have to leave.

They ended up at a cozy little sandwich shop for lunch. They sat at a table near the window, and Glinda kept getting distracted by all the people rushing about outside.

"This is crazy," said Boq, nodding toward the street. "I can't believe people do this every year."

"It's worse in the Emerald City," Crope said. Tibbett nodded next to him.

"What's Frottica like in the winter?" Fiyero asked.

Glinda tore her eyes away from the window. "A lot like this. Maybe a bit quieter." She wrinkled her nose a little. "More snow."

"That's just this winter," said Tibbett. "I'm disappointed, too."

Glinda looked back at the window, this time focusing on the frost that was creeping in from the corners. She tilted her head a little, marveling at the tiny, intricate patterns. It was an intriguing design, crystalline and branch-like, and she wondered how it would hold up in a building.

"My father wrote to me," Tibbett said. "He's disappointed I'm not coming home."

"My parents, too," said Crope. "Though they also told me how much they missed Tibbett."

Fiyero laughed. "I guess I have it easy. My parents don't even expect me to come home at this point."

"The runaway prince?" Tibbett asked, batting his eyes.

"Something like that." Fiyero looked at Glinda and tilted his head. She smiled a little.

"I haven't really talked to my parents, actually. I don't think they care that much. I would only see them a few times, anyway. And then there's my Ama. She's a little sad, but she understands."

Boq looked out the window. "Do you think…" He swallowed and shook his head. "Is this the last time we'll all be together?"

Everyone shifted and stayed quiet. Glinda folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them intently. Someone sighed.

"No," Crope said eventually. His voice was steady, completely certain. "I demand that we all hang out tomorrow."

Glinda giggled, and she wasn't the only one. She looked up again and saw Boq relax a little. He opened his mouth, maybe to press the issue, but then he closed it and shook his head, smiling.

"Okay," he said. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

 _I know how much you loved Shiz, and it was taken away from you after such a short time._

Elphaba shouldn't have been awake, and yet here she was, once again alone on the rooftop, watching the afternoon fade slowly into evening. It had been almost dawn when they returned to the corn exchange that morning, and they were heading out for another job as soon as it was dark. She had barely slept in that time, and about an hour ago she had given up and flown up to the roof to be alone with her thoughts.

It wasn't anything unusual. She was thinking about Nessa, so young and alone and trying to hold her own in Oz's screwed up world of politics. Thinking about Nessa led to thinking about Munchkinland. The papers in the Emerald City had given her a break and were instead speculating about the secession that was sure to be announced any day now. Munchkinland made her think about Boq, and what he would have to do to take care of himself and his family. She hadn't forgotten what Glinda had said about him, how they were all worried.

And then, always, she thought about Glinda. Glinda alone in their room. Glinda suffering through Morrible's class. Glinda eating dinner with the boys, or sitting in the library with Boq, or curling up in Elphaba's bed. Sometimes Elphaba would remember the feel of Glinda's hand in hers, the shine of her hair, the warmth when she was in Elphaba's arms. She remembered late nights when they were wrapped around each other on the bed, just talking. She remembered hours spent with all their friends, with Glinda next to her giggling, joking, waving her hands as she told a story. She remembered how Glinda felt, how she sounded, how she looked when she was amused, when she was tired, when she was frustrated, when she was happy.

But remembering, somehow, hurt more than anything else. Elphaba shook her head and grabbed her broom. They would have to leave soon, and the last thing she wanted was for Peric to find her up here brooding. She flew easily back into the corn exchange and quietly went about gathering her things for the night.

* * *

They left as soon as night had fallen over the city. The job wasn't anything special—just a quick break-in. The house belonged to one of the Wizard's advisers. She had been speaking out against secession and was threatening any and all Munchkinlanders living in the Emerald City. The woman had no immediate family and usually spent her nights in her suite in the palace, so the house was empty.

Everything went smoothly until they were getting ready to leave.

They slipped out of a back door, Peric and Malky in front of Elphaba, who whispered a quick spell and re-locked the door. She turned around to find Malky low against the ground, his ears flat against his head and his tail puffed out behind him.

"What—?"

"Over there!"

Shouts went up all around the block as two soldiers stepped into view, raising their guns.

"You're surrounded and outnumbered," one of them called. "Stand down."

Elphaba thrust her arm out and knocked them both back. "No, thank you."

"We need to get away from here," said Malky. "Peric, can you fly out?"

He shifted his wings. "Not here. Too much light."

"That's fine," Elphaba said, already backing into the shadows. "Just stay close."

They took off running. She led the way, throwing back any soldiers who appeared in their path. Malky ran silently at her heels, and Peric glided along just behind them, flying low to the ground.

Elphaba stuck to the side streets, trying not to lead them out into the open. It worked until she turned a corner and the road widened into a courtyard, complete with a small yet running fountain. Elphaba swore violently. Half a dozen soldiers were already there, rushing toward them. She turned halfway around and saw three more coming from behind, trapping them in.

Peric leapt into the air, throwing himself at the nearest guard with a terrible screech. Malky hissed and leapt at the legs of another soldier, knocking him down. Elphaba turned toward the men in front of them and swung her arm, but the magic faltered and only one guard fell back. The others rushed at her. She barely had time to swing her broom up before the first one reached her. The broom hit his chest, knocking him back. Elphaba spun around as another guard thrust the butt of his rifle at her. She raised her broom, blocking the blow, and kicked his knees, sending him to the ground.

Someone grabbed her from behind, yanking her arms back and forcing her to drop the broom. He shoved her down and raised his gun. She scrambled to her feet and leapt to the side as the shot was fired, landing close to the fountain.

Growling, she reached out for the broom. It flew toward her, hitting the guard on its way and distracting him long enough for Elphaba to send a blast of flames at him. He cried out and stumbled back, dropping his gun, but Elphaba sagged, already feeling the energy drain out of her. She pulled herself together as another soldier came at her. She held her own for a moment, managing to disarm him and hit him squarely in the jaw, but he grasped her shoulders and kneed her in the stomach. Elphaba doubled over, wheezing, and he pushed her away. She stumbled back until her legs hit the edge of the fountain.

"Fae!"

Elphaba clenched her teeth as she fell into the water. It was shallow, and she was wearing enough layers that it didn't immediately soak through. Suddenly Peric was above her, his talons gripping her cloak at the shoulders to lift her out of the fountain and back to her feet. Off to the side, Malky was making short work of the remaining guards.

"Are you okay?" Peric asked, hovering around her. Elphaba tore off her cloak and shook out her hands. The spray had completely covered her right side and most of her back, and it was starting to seep through her clothes, stinging her skin. There were other places, too—the back of her hand, her neck—that had been directly hit, but she didn't focus on it.

"I'll be fine as soon as we get out of here," she said.

"Then let's hurry," said Malky. "I can hear more coming."

They ran again, Malky in the lead this time, heading for the lower districts. Every step hurt worse for Elphaba, but she ignored it and forced herself to keep pace with the others. More guards were shouting behind them, their footsteps getting louder. Malky reached a crossroad and skidded to a halt, hissing. Two guards were at the intersection, raising their weapons. Peric swooped down on them long enough for Elphaba and Malky to turn and run the other way.

Except, the other way went on for only a couple hundred feet before becoming a dead end. Malky froze and Elphaba stumbled to a halt next to him. They were closed in, a sheer brick wall ahead of them and a couple run-down shops on either side. She turned to face the guards that were behind them, closing them in. Peric landed near her feet, his head bowed low, glaring at the soldiers.

Elphaba glanced up. There weren't as many lights here, and the sky was dark enough for Peric to disappear as soon as he cleared the rooftops.

"Fly," she hissed. "Get out of here."

"Not a chance," he said.

The soldiers were closing in. Malky snarled and pounced. He leapt up onto a windowsill, turned on a paw, and tackled one of the soldiers. Elphaba raised her arm, ignoring the screaming burns along her side, and sent another guard flying back.

Peric flew forward, snapping his beak and unfurling his wings. A guard cowered, stumbling back, but another ran forward, raising his sword. Elphaba reached her arm out, but the magic hummed weakly in response. She managed to lift the soldier a couple feet into the air, but her arm trembled and she nearly stumbled forward. He yelped and twisted, breaking free of the magic and collapsing to the ground.

"More coming!" Malky hissed, his ears flicking toward the road. Elphaba was breathing heavily. She met his gaze and nodded toward the rooftop, but he hesitated.

"Go," she said. Another guard ran toward her and she spun, hitting him solidly with the broom. "Peric, you too. I'll cover you."

Somewhere behind her, Peric snapped his beak. "No."

"I'm right behind you, just _go_."

"But—"

"We don't have time for this," Malky hissed. "Come on." He pounced onto the closest guard, then up onto a rooftop. Peric muttered something but unfolded his wings and leapt into the air, nearly knocking over another guard as he flapped down.

One of the soldiers cried out and raised his gun, but both Animals had already vanished from sight. Growling, the soldier lowered his weapon, aiming further down the alley instead.

Elphaba tried to move, but there was nowhere to go and the burns made her too slow. The shot echoed through the alley, ringing in her ears, and she fell back against the wall. She felt the cold brick scrape at her clothes, but it was quickly drowned out by the pain that exploded in her side.

Panic set in as she heard Peric call her name. "Don't!" she screamed. The guards in front of her cried out in surprise as a rush of magic escaped her. "Just go!"

"But—"

" _Go!_ "

There was no response. Magic bubbled beneath her skin, tingling in her palm, but spots were dancing in her vision. A spell would almost definitely take more energy than she had. There was no fighting her way out of this one. Her other hand tightened its grip on the broom, which also seemed, somehow, to be brimming with energy. Peric and Malky had safely escaped, and it was time for her to do the same.

Elphaba tugged her hat down low over her head and swung a leg over the broom. It took off immediately, shooting her up and over the heads of the soldiers. She heard their guns firing again, but if they hit her she couldn't tell.

She couldn't tell much of anything, really. Her side was wet and warm, her skin burned, but everything else was getting cold. She leaned low over the broom as it evened out. Just below her, the Emerald City blurred. Could the soldiers still see her? Would they follow her? She didn't want to risk leading them back to the corn exchange. She tried looking around for Peric or Malky, but if they were still nearby, she couldn't see them. She couldn't lead the guards to them, either. Her thoughts scattered as her body hesitated, and she felt her consciousness starting to slip away.

The broom hummed beneath her and angled north, apparently knowing where to go. Elphaba's only thought was to grip it as tight as she could. She let the broom carry her away as the rest of her mind went numb.


	24. Chapter 24

Glinda hummed a little as her pencil moved across the page. She was back in the lounge of the boys' library, stretched out across the plush carpet, the fire crackling warmly behind her. It was late—the sky outside the window had grown dark hours ago—but she was too content to move.

Boq, Crope, and Tibbett were on the chairs, chatting idly. Fiyero sat down next to her, shifting around until he was lying beside her. "Anything good?" he asked, nodding at her sketchbook.

Glinda tilted the book to show him. The pages were covered with patterns. "The other day when we were in town, I noticed the frost on the window. The design was interesting. I've just been doodling some different takes on it."

"You think it could work in a building?"

"I don't see why not," Glinda said, shrugging a little. "It looks like…the cut of a crystal. Or roots. Both of which are solid structures. I just don't know how you would get building materials to work like this."

"Could you use magic?" Fiyero asked.

"Maybe." Glinda ran her fingers over the page. "That would be quite the spell. It would take a lot of design and delicacy, not to mention energy. And you'd probably have to reinforce the material somehow beforehand… It's an interesting idea, though."

"An interesting idea," Crope mocked, chuckling. "Brilliant, Fiyero."

"Oh, hush," Glinda said. "It _is_."

"Do you think you could ever try it?" Fiyero asked.

"Well, we know she _could_ ," Tibbett said. "In a different world, our Glinda is Oz's most successful architect sorceress."

Glinda giggled, but it turned into a yawn and she lowered her head, burying her face into her arms to hide it. The boys all laughed, especially when Boq caught it. "Oh, shut up," he mumbled, stretching.

"I should go," said Glinda, tucking her pencil into her sketchbook and flipping it shut. "If Morrible finds me out this late…"

"Go on, then," Crope said dramatically. "Abandon us here."

Fiyero grabbed her hand and squeezed her fingers. "Don't worry," he told Crope. "You still have Tibbett."

Tibbett gave Crope a look that the rest of them had to turn away from. Boq pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his bag.

"Right behind you, Glinda."

"Me too," said Fiyero.

Crope and Tibbett laughed and waved goodbye. Glinda bade Boq and Fiyero good night and parted with them outside the library, turning down the path back to Crage Hall.

There were no stars out tonight, making the campus that much darker. Glinda shivered and folded her arms tight across her chest. It was a little creepy, walking alone at night, and she couldn't quite shake the image of Morrible appearing around one of the buildings, a knife glinting in her hand. The campus was so empty now that the semester had ended. It would be all too easy for the headmistress to corner her. No one would be around to see, to do anything…

Glinda frowned and walked a little faster.

She made it to Crage Hall without incident, but she still had a nagging feeling that something was off. Her neck prickled and she couldn't stop shivering, even as she walked all the way through the building to her room. Her key felt unusually heavy in her hand, and she fumbled with the lock for a moment or two before managing to get the door open. The feeling lingered even after she slipped into the room. In fact, as she closed the door behind her and leaned back against it, she felt so uneasy that her stomach twisted and her mouth grew dry.

Slowly, Glinda pushed off from the door and raised her palm. Flames sprung to life, and she had a moment to notice that the magic had come to her just as naturally as it used to. Then she lifted her hand higher, letting the fire illuminate the room. Her gaze fell on the floor in front of the window, where something—someone—was lying motionless.

"No…"

The lamp between the beds flickered on as she ran across the room and fell to her knees. Elphaba was in a crumpled heap—her hair was strewn about her head, her clothes were darker and more ragged than before, and…

"No no no." Glinda gently took the hat from Elphaba's head and rolled her over. Her eyes remained shut, even when Glinda pressed her hands to the wound in her side. "Elphie, no. Wake up."

There was no response. Adrenaline took over her body, and Glinda felt her own skin grow cold. She scrambled to her feet and ran to the bathroom, grabbing towels and the old jar of burn cream she could never bring herself to throw out. She hurried back to the room and knelt beside Elphaba again.

"Come on, Elphie, wake up," she whispered, holding a towel to the wound and pressing lightly. "You don't get to fly all the way up here and collapse on the floor unless you give me an explanation."

She felt like her entire soul was trembling. She kept her hands on Elphaba's side and screwed her eyes shut, trying to remember all the work she had done these last few weeks. Bits of research flashed through her head, jumbling together. Internal bleeding, infection, tissue and organ damage. What if she didn't know the right spell? What if she did something wrong? What if Elphaba's body didn't take her magic, and Glinda ended up hurting her even more?

"Focus," Glinda growled at herself, looking back down at Elphaba. She bit her lip and rolled Elphaba ever so slightly, ignoring how freezing cold the green girl was. Her fingers ghosted over Elphie's back until she felt more blood. Glinda let out a breath. If she was shot, the bullet went clean through.

She lifted the towel and let her hands hover over Elphaba's skin, hoping that her fingers weren't trembling too much to cast the spells. Glinda forced herself to look away from the blood—Oz, there was so much blood—and focused instead on Elphaba's face as she started murmuring the words she needed.

There was light, and warmth, and the slow, familiar drain of energy. When she looked down again the bleeding had stopped. Glinda carefully pulled at the tear in Elphaba's dress. Beneath it, the skin had sealed itself, leaving a bright, ragged scar. It was all she dared do. The wound was in her side, which meant there was a chance it missed her organs, but until she woke up there was no way to be sure.

Glinda cupped Elphaba's cheek, ignoring the blood smeared on her fingers. "Come on now, Elphie." She tried to keep her voice steady, reasonable. It sounded awful. "I can only do so much. You've got to meet me halfway here. You have to wake up. I can't help you anymore unless you wake up."

Elphaba didn't move. Glinda brushed the dark hair back before holding her face again. Her green skin had turned almost gray. Her eyelids didn't even twitch.

"No," Glinda choked, fighting for control. "No, Elphie, you can't do this. You can't." She couldn't even tell if Elphaba was breathing, she lay so still. Glinda sucked in a breath, quickly losing any calm she had left. "Dammit Elphaba, who do you think you are? Who says you can just come here with no warning, half-dead because of Oz knows what, and leave me again? You can't—you don't get to—don't leave me again, Elphie, _please_!"

Her palm hit the floor, smacking hard enough to sting. Glinda sobbed and lowered her head against Elphaba's chest. She held her breath and clenched her teeth, willing herself to be still. After a long moment, she heard the faintest beating of Elphaba's heart.

Gulping, Glinda pushed herself to her knees and reached under Elphaba. She wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other around her knees and, after only a brief hesitation, lifted her up. It felt wrong. Elphaba was taller, stronger, had always lifted Glinda into her arms. But she was so tiny—when had she gotten so tiny?—that Glinda was able to carry her to the bed with little trouble.

She laid Elphaba down gently and slowly peeled off her dress. Fresh burns covered her right side and stretched onto her back. Glinda swallowed through the lump in her throat and carefully rolled Elphaba onto her stomach. The skin was raw and bleeding. What had Elphaba gotten herself into?

It took a while. Most of the burns were too serious for just the cream, so she whispered her healing spells, pushing away the fog of weariness that was creeping up on her. It was strange, though. Every spell she cast was flawless. She felt like she had last semester, when she was excelling at sorcery. Maybe it was the fact that she had been studying healing magic for weeks, but Glinda didn't think that was it. Her emotions were overwhelming, yet her magic was completely in control.

It was Elphaba's presence; she was sure of it. The thought gave her hope. If she was casting magic well, then Elphaba still had a chance of pulling through.

"Come on, Elphie," she whispered. She finished the last of the spells and grabbed the burn cream. Her hand moved lightly across Elphaba's skin and she searched her face for any sort of reaction, but there was nothing. Glinda's eyes stung as she continued working.

She turned Elphaba over again so that she was lying on her back and could breathe easier. Her body was covered in burns and cuts and bruises, both fresh and faded. Glinda did what she could for all of them. She could see Elphaba's chest rising and falling now, and her eyes fluttered once or twice, but she remained unconscious.

The adrenaline had left Glinda by now. Her eyes were heavy and her arms shook with exhaustion by the time she was done. She closed the jar of burn cream and set it on the table between the beds. Realizing that the room was freezing, she remembered the open window and went to shut it. Elphaba's broom and the towels were still on the floor, and she picked them all up. The bloody towel was tossed into the bathroom, out of sight. The broom she set on her bed, and she stacked the clean towels on the table next to the burn cream.

She went to Elphaba again and pulled the blanket up around her. For a moment, she thought about climbing into bed beside her, but she was too afraid of accidentally hurting her. Instead, Glinda knelt beside the bed and folded her arms across the mattress, resting her head in them. Her hand reached up and brushed Elphaba's hair back, and she was rewarded with a small sigh. Glinda sat up a little, watching Elphaba's face for any further response, but she was still unconscious. She relaxed again and wiped at her cheeks as the tears finally started to fall.

* * *

Glinda started, blinking awake and lifting her head. The muscles in her legs were aching beneath her. Her eyelids felt thick and heavy and she rubbed them with her palms. When had she fallen asleep? And what woke her up?

The second question was answered when the sheets rustled in front of her.

"W-where…?"

Glinda reached for Elphaba's hand, carefully tangling their fingers together. "Elphie?"

Elphaba's brow furrowed as her eyes found Glinda's. "Where—how did I—what are you—?"

"Calm down," Glinda whispered. She squeezed her hand and stroked her hair back "You're at Shiz. I don't know how. I came back and you were collapsed on the floor. You…" She lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together, hating the ache in her throat.

Elphaba shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. I never meant…I just got on the broom and…"

Glinda glanced at the clock on the wall. "You've been out for a few hours."

"But—that can't—I have to—" Elphaba pulled her hand away and started to push herself up. She groaned and Glinda jumped to her feet, gently pressing her back to the bed.

"Stop," she ordered. "Just stay still."

"But—"

"A bullet went clean through your body. You need to relax."

"I need to be in the Emerald City!" Elphaba protested. She tried to fight Glinda's grip, ignoring the pain that was screaming in her side.

"Elphaba Thropp, I'm serious. Either lie still or I will personally knock you out again and make you stay there."

Elphaba met Glinda's eyes again, surprised to find something bordering on fury there. She stopped fighting, letting herself relax into the mattress. After another moment, Glinda let go and settled back, sitting on one leg on the bed.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba said quietly. "I didn't mean to come here. I just—"

"Do you really think _that's_ why I'm mad?" Glinda asked. She shook her head, looking down at her lap.

Elphaba swallowed. "I scared you. I wasn't supposed to—I never wanted you to see me like that."

Glinda sniffed. She didn't care about that. That wasn't the point. She reached out blindly, and Elphaba took her hand, rubbing a thumb across her knuckles.

"I don't understand," Glinda whispered. "If you didn't mean to, then how did you get here?"

Elphaba hesitated. She remembered flying away from the guards and not knowing where to go. She remembered holding tight to the broom as it turned north and flew away.

"The broom," she said softly. "I didn't know what to do, I wasn't thinking straight, and it just sort of…took me somewhere. It took me here."

Glinda frowned a little and looked over at the broom. That would imply some level of sentience in the object, but even with magic, that wasn't possible. Maybe Elphaba's spell had linked her and the broom, and it responded to her emotions, even on a subconscious level, but that was still almost unheard of.

She shook her head. It was all too complicated, and she was way too exhausted. She turned back to Elphaba, who had kicked the blanket off and was looking down at herself. Her hand brushed across her torso. She felt at the scar at her side, wincing.

"Stop it," Glinda snapped, snatching her hand away. "Oz, Elphie, would you stop hurting yourself? For five seconds?"

"Did you do this?" asked Elphaba. She looked up at Glinda. "I was shot. I should be…but there's only a scar."

"A _painful_ scar," said Glinda, scowling.

"And I was burnt," Elphaba said. "All over my side. It should be… I should be… Glinda?"

"Yes, I did it," said Glinda. "I used magic. Does your side hurt? I used the burn cream, too, but I didn't have bandages to dress it, so I—"

"No, hold on, how? The energy that must have taken—and how do you know healing spells that complicated?"

Glinda rolled her eyes. " _This_ is what you're concerned with?"

"Glinda."

"I researched healing magic for my sorcery final. We had to study a topic on our own, and I chose that. Are you happy?"

Elphaba stared. "You learned those spells on your own? And then pulled them off, in a situation like this?"

She sounded impressed, and proud, and Glinda flushed a little despite it all, pushing her hair behind her ears.

"How are your burns?" she asked softly.

Elphaba was quiet for a moment. They looked at each other, realizing for the first time that they were both there, together again, even in the worst of circumstances.

"I'll live," Elphaba murmured. "Come here."

Glinda crawled up to lie beside her. She tried to be careful, but Elphaba wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"I can't believe you're here," Glinda whispered. "Earlier, when I walked into the room and you were—I thought you—"

Elphaba hushed her. "It's okay," she said. "I'm okay. I know this really great sorceress. She fixed me up, and I'm perfectly fine."

Glinda shook her head and hid in the crook of Elphaba's neck. "This is not _perfectly fine._ You were bleeding to death. You were barely even breathing. I don't even know how you managed to get here from the Emerald City."

"But I did," Elphaba whispered. "And I'm here now, still alive. It's okay."

It wasn't. It wasn't even close to okay, but Glinda bit the words back. It was late, she was exhausted, Elphaba was hurt, and now wasn't the time.

"We should sleep," said Elphaba. Glinda opened her mouth to protest, but Elphaba held the back of Glinda's head, combing through her hair. "Those spells must have exhausted you, and I'm tired, too. Everything else can wait until morning."

She sounded like she was convincing herself. Glinda shivered a little but nodded. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't string together anything that made sense. So she stayed quiet and tried to relax into Elphaba's embrace.

Elphaba fell asleep before her, though she was so still, her breaths so quiet, that it was hard to tell. Glinda lifted her head just enough to watch Elphie's face. When she was convinced the green girl was asleep, she lay back down again and let her eyes fall shut. She was afraid of what the morning would bring, but Elphaba was right—she was too exhausted to try to fight it. Her hand fumbled beneath the covers until it found Elphaba's. Even in sleep, Elphaba's fingers intertwined with hers, squeezing gently, lulling her off into unconsciousness.

* * *

Glinda woke up early to the feeling of Elphaba shifting beside her. She glanced up at Elphie's face, watching her jaw clench and her eyes shut tighter. Glinda stroked her arm.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just a little uncomfortable."

Glinda sat up and pushed the blanket back. "Is it the burns?" she asked.

"It's fine. I'm—"

"Elphaba."

Elphaba let out a breath. "Yeah. It just stings a little."

"A little?" Glinda gave her a look and reached for the burn cream. Elphaba widened her eyes, feigning innocence, and Glinda, suddenly giddy with relief, had to resist a giggle. Instead, she put a hand on Elphaba's shoulder. "Do you think you could roll onto your side?"

"Oh, I'm allowed to move now?"

"Just roll over."

Elphaba did what she was told and rolled onto her left side. Glinda carefully crawled over her to get to her back. It looked way better than last night, but parts of the skin were bleeding again. Glinda ran her hand over the burns, murmuring her healing spell. Elphaba shivered a little.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No," she said truthfully. "It's just…warm."

Glinda lowered her hands and opened the jar. Elphaba jumped when the cream touched her skin.

"Cold," she whispered in explanation. Glinda smiled a little.

"You're moving around so much, I'm beginning to think you don't appreciate my efforts here."

Elphaba reached back, grabbing her wrist. She turned to look over her shoulder. "That's not even close to true."

"I know," Glinda said softly. She pulled Elphaba's hand away from her arm and lifted it to kiss her palm.

Elphaba turned back over, sighing a little as Glinda continued working. "I don't think I thanked you last night," she said quietly.

"You don't need to thank me," Glinda said. She finished with the cream and closed the jar again, climbing to the foot of the bed and getting to her feet. "If you lay on your stomach, it'll hurt less, and you won't irritate the skin as much."

She set the jar back on the table and wiped her hands with one of the towels there. Elphaba tried to meet her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure you saved my life," she said. "I think that deserves some gratitude."

Glinda ignored her. "I don't have anything to dress it with. I might be able to sneak something out of the infirmary later."

"Glinda."

Glinda sighed and sat in front of her. She reached up and tucked Elphaba's hair back, avoiding her eyes. "You don't need to thank me," she repeated. "You've always protected me."

Elphaba grabbed her hand, holding it to her lips, not saying anything. Glinda felt her breath across her knuckles.

Eventually Glinda pulled away, brushing at her eyes. "You lost a lot of blood," she said. "You need food. And juice. I can run to the café real quick and bring back something for breakfast."

She was pulling on her shoes before Elphaba could reach out and stop her.

"Glinda, wait."

"I'll only be a minute. Stay in bed, okay? Don't do something stupid."

"What could I possibly do?" Elphaba protested.

"I don't know, but I'm sure you'd come up with something."

Elphaba scoffed, but Glinda was already at the door. "Wait—Glinda, _stop_."

" _What?_ " she snapped, spinning around.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "You can't go out like that. There's blood all over you."

Glinda looked down. "Oh." Her cheeks were starting to heat up, so she quickly crossed the room, pulling out a dress on her way to the bathroom.

She was a bit calmer when she reappeared, and she walked over to Elphaba's bed. "I'm sorry," she said, pressing a kiss to Elphaba's cheek. "I'll be back in a couple minutes." She rose and went to the door, but Elphaba stopped her again.

"Glinda? I really am fine. I'm going to be okay."

Glinda paused, her eyes on the ground, but then she looked up and gave her a sad smile. "I know, Elphie." She left the room then, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it. "I think that's what worries me."

* * *

Glinda returned quickly with juice, fruit, toast and jam, and a roll of bandages. Elphaba was half-sitting up in bed, leaning against the pillows propped up at the headboard. She squirmed a little under Glinda's scowl.

"What? You said to stay in bed."

Glinda wasn't amused, but they ate breakfast and she wrapped Elphaba's torso. Elphaba was still clearly in pain, but she was remarkably good at hiding it and, despite everything, she seemed to be recovering quickly. Glinda thought it might be the magic. Maybe, because she and Elphie were so closely linked, her magic in Elphaba's body made her heal quickly.

It scared her, though. The faster she healed, the sooner she'd be gone again, and Glinda was more reluctant than ever to let her go.

They spent the day in bed, Elphaba sitting against the headboard and Glinda laying beside her. The morning passed quietly as they both realized they didn't have much to say—at least, not much that they were willing to talk about. Elphaba asked a few questions, but Glinda wasn't very responsive. Eventually Elphaba reached down and stroked her hair back. Glinda looked up and met her eyes, noting the concern in them.

"What's wrong?" Elphaba asked. Glinda gave her a look, and she made a face. "Okay, stupid question. I mean, you're quiet. You've been avoiding looking at me."

"I'm looking at you right now," Glinda said quietly.

"Yeah, and I can see that something's wrong." Elphaba touched her cheek. "Talk to me. Please."

Glinda bit her lip and looked down, staring hard at Elphaba's shoulder.

"Is it last night?" Elphaba's voice was gentle. "Is it because you thought I… because I scared you?"

She didn't answer.

"Is it because I showed up without any warning, and now you're stuck taking care of me?"

"No." Glinda shook her head. "Elphie, no."

"Is it because you're still worried?" Elphaba brushed her thumb across Glinda's cheek, wiping at a tear. Glinda pushed her hand away and rubbed angrily at her eyes.

"Stop," Glinda whispered. "Just…stop." She turned over so her back was to Elphaba and curled tightly into herself. Her fingers clutched at the sheet beneath her as she trembled.

"Glinda, please." Elphaba's voice was begging. "Please, my sweet, talk to me."

Glinda took a breath, feeling it rattle through her. "I just…" Elphaba's hand touched her shoulder, and she exhaled in a rush. "I feel so helpless, okay?"

Elphaba stayed quiet, but her hand squeezed her shoulder, encouraging her. Glinda shut her eyes so tight her head started to hurt. She thought she might be shaking.

"I feel helpless. I can't help you. You nearly died, and there was nothing I could do to protect you."

"You did protect me," Elphaba whispered.

"I _healed_ you. There's a difference. By some stroke of luck, I healed you. But what if I had made it worse? What if I wasn't quick enough? You're always trying to keep me from harm, but I have no way of doing the same for you."

"You don't have to."

" _Yes I do_." Glinda grit her teeth and tried to breathe. "You keep saying that you couldn't stand it if I got hurt. Well, how do you think I feel? I can't help you. I can't help anyone. I can't do _anything_ while I'm stuck here at this stupid school."

Elphaba was silent. Her hand fell away, and Glinda turned to face her.

"And don't you dare say you don't need someone to protect you. Oz knows the danger you're putting yourself in, _wicked witch_."

Elphaba ducked her head. "You saw that."

"Of course I saw it. Everyone saw it. Since when are you a public enemy of the Emerald City, Elphaba?" Glinda hissed.

"It's all inaccurate. You can't trust those papers to tell the truth."

Glinda rolled onto her back and rubbed her forehead angrily. "But you really broke into that bank, didn't you? You attack those guards. You're committing these crimes." There was no response. She sighed and pressed her palms to her eyes. "What happened?" she asked softly. "What happened to the Elphaba who wandered around campus with her nose in a book? Who poured herself into the groundbreaking research that would change Oz?"

"Research won't save anyone," Elphaba muttered. "Morrible made sure of that. I know I've changed, but I'm doing what I can to help Oz."

"And who's going to help you?" Glinda turned, her eyes pleading, and reached for her.

Elphaba jerked her hand away. "Don't do this. Don't start."

"Seriously?" Glinda's hand curled into a fist and she let it fall against the mattress. "You're telling _me_ not to do this?"

"Glinda…"

"What do you expect from me? I can't just sit here while you're off getting yourself killed. I can't, Elphie. I won't."

"I'm still alive, aren't I? So there's no need to worry."

"You've got to be joking." Glinda pushed herself up and made to stand, but Elphaba leaned forward, grasping both her hands and pulling them onto her lap. She winced a little at the movement, and Glinda glared even more.

Elphaba gave her an apologetic look. "I know it's hard," she said. "But this is what we have. If only one of us can be safe from harm, I'm going to make sure it's you. I won't risk you getting hurt."

"I _am_ hurt," Glinda protested. "Here, every day."

"But you're safe."

"Am I?"

"No one's shooting at you. That's better off than you'd be in the Emerald City." Elphaba squeezed her hands. "Please, Glinda, just…be here. Be with the boys. Study architecture and—"

"Sorcery."

"What?"

Glinda hesitated, looking away. "My specialty is sorcery."

"But…I thought…" Elphaba swallowed. "You said you wanted to study architecture."

"I said I was still thinking about it."

"So you chose sorcery? With _Morrible_?"

"The decision is made, Elphaba."

Elphaba shook her head. "No. It's the middle of winter break. You can't declare until the semester. Glinda, please, just think about—"

"I declared last fall." Glinda screwed her eyes shut as she said it, but it didn't matter. She heard the sharp inhale. Elphaba let go of her hands, and she brought them back to her own lap.

"You said…when I was here, just a few weeks ago, you told me…" Elphaba narrowed her eyes. "You lied to me?"

"What? You think you're the only one allowed to?"

She felt Elphaba jerk back. There was a long silence, then, "Why did you choose sorcery?"

Glinda shivered at Elphaba's tone. She hesitated, wondering how much she should tell her. "I needed it," she said carefully. "My magic was being affected by my emotions, and I had no control."

"So why not drop it altogether?"

 _She wouldn't let me!_ Glinda wanted to scream. Instead, she twisted her fingers together and stared at her lap. "I love sorcery. I've always wanted to study it. I wasn't just going to give it up."

"But Morrible—"

"Is awful, yes, and she would continue to be awful no matter what I did. You can't change my mind, Elphaba."

"She made you do this, didn't she?" Elphaba's voice was dangerous. "She's forcing you to study sorcery. She's trying to control you."

"Yes," said Glinda. "She wants to control me. She wants to use me to get to you. I know."

"And you're letting her?"

"No," she snapped. "I'm studying sorcery so I don't lose control and hurt everyone around me, and I'm letting Morrible stay close so at least I know what she's up to."

Elphaba pressed her lips together. "I don't like it."

"Good," Glinda said shortly. "Now you know how I feel."

"That's not fair."

" _None_ of this is fair, Elphaba." Glinda sighed. "I'm not doing this to punish you. I just think it's my best option. You're not the only one with hard decisions to make."

Elphaba slumped against the pillows. She didn't know what to say, what she _could_ say. Glinda refused to look at her. She wanted to tell her about the job offer. She wanted to tell her how Morrible was trying to get her to move to the Emerald City and work for the Wizard. She wanted to tell her how scared she was, how she didn't think she even had a choice anymore, how it might not matter, because seeing Elphaba half-dead made her realize how helpless she was at Shiz, and if she took the job then maybe, just maybe, she could actually do something useful.

Glinda wanted to tell her. She was dying to. She could feel the words in her mouth, she took the breath to say them, and then she stopped. She shut her mouth and pressed her palms flat against her legs and, for reasons she didn't quite understand, she stayed silent.

Elphaba shifted. "I want to get dressed." She pushed against the bed and sat up straight.

"Elphie…"

"I want to get dressed," Elphaba repeated. Her jaw was clenched and her arms shook a little, but she pulled her legs in and turned to scoot toward the edge of the bed. Glinda swallowed hard and stood to get out of her way.

"This shouldn't even be possible," Glinda muttered as she grabbed Elphaba's dress and brought it to her. Elphaba put a hand on the table, pushing down, and Glinda tossed the dress to the bed and hurried to help her. She hesitated, holding her hand out. Elphaba stared at it for a long moment, but then she raised her free hand and took it.

The tension melted. Glinda placed her other hand on Elphie's back, below the bandages, holding her steady as she rose. Elphaba sucked in a breath and wobbled a little, but she was standing. She looked at Glinda and grinned, and Glinda smiled back.

"Your dress is pretty much ruined," she said, glancing back at it.

"It'll have to do," said Elphaba. "I sort of need clothes."

Glinda met her eyes and raised an eyebrow, smirking. It felt forced, but it made Elphaba laugh, even as her cheeks darkened. Glinda felt triumphant. "At least let me try to fix it. Do you want to sit back down?"

Elphaba rolled her shoulders. "I'm okay."

Glinda let go of her and waited a moment, just to make sure, then turned to the dress. She spread it across Elphaba's bed and winced a little. It was stained with blood and covered in little tears, not just from last night. Glinda picked at a spot on the sleeve that had been mended messily, probably by Elphaba's own magic.

She ran her hands over her dress, sewing up holes and making stains fade. It wasn't perfect, but it worked. She held it up and gave it to Elphaba.

"There you go," she said. "Now you don't have to go shopping for a new one."

Elphaba grinned. "My hero." She took the dress and raised it over her head, tilting dangerously. Glinda stepped forward to steady her, earning a muffled, "Thanks," in response.

It took a minute, and Glinda found herself wincing along with Elphaba every time, but eventually she was dressed. Elphaba was swaying a little by that time, so Glinda eased her back down to the bed.

"I don't want to lay down," Elphaba mumbled, fighting her a little. Glinda's brow furrowed, but she improvised, guiding Elphaba fully onto the bed and moving to kneel behind her.

"Lean back," she said softly, pressing on her shoulders until Elphaba obeyed. She reached for Elphaba's hair and began combing gently through it. "Your hair's a mess," she whispered.

"So's my life." Elphaba tilted her head back, melting into Glinda's touch.

"Let's just worry about the hair for now, alright?"

Elphaba mumbled a response that she couldn't quite make out. "And you say you don't need someone to take care of you," Glinda said under her breath.

"Hm?"

"Nothing," said Glinda, pressing a kiss to her hairline. She carefully worked through all the knots in Elphaba's hair until it was smooth again, then braided it back. Once she was done her fingers moved to Elphaba's neck, rubbing small circles up and down, along the base of her skull, across her shoulders. Elphie sank further and further into her, her breathing growing slower and deeper, until Glinda couldn't tell if she was actually still awake or not.

"Elphie?"

"Mm?" Elphaba sighed and squirmed half-heartedly. "Do I need to move?"

Glinda wrapped her arms around Elphaba's shoulders, stilling her. "No," she whispered. "No, just stay."

Elphaba leaned back more and grabbed her arm. Glinda buried her face in Elphaba's shoulder and willed herself not to cry. They stayed like that for a long, long time.

* * *

Elphaba was up and walking by nightfall. She waved off Glinda's help and stood on her own, and while she was still shaky, she was getting better with every step. Glinda sat on the bed with her knees to her chest, watching her. She felt lightheaded with relief, but at the same time, her heart was sinking. If Elphaba was walking, then it was only a matter of time until…

"I have to get back."

Glinda jerked. "What?"

Elphaba hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck. "My friends will be looking for me, and I didn't exactly leave them in the best of circumstances. I need to make sure they're all right."

"Elphie, you shouldn't even be walking right now."

"But I am."

"But you _shouldn't_ be." Glinda stood but stayed next to the bed, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. "You can't just fly back to the Emerald City like this."

Elphaba swung her arms around a bit. "I think I could make it."

"And if you can't? What happens then?"

"I'll manage."

"So you're just going to leave again."

Elphaba scowled. "You knew I would have to."

"But not tonight!" Glinda took a shaky breath. "Please, just stay. Leave tomorrow."

"I can't. I have to leave while it's dark."

"Leave in the morning then."

"That's cutting it close. I don't want to risk it when I'm…" She gestured to her side, and Glinda narrowed her eyes.

"When you're injured and shouldn't even be walking?"

"Glinda."

"Don't go." Glinda was pleading now. "If you leave, I can't help you."

"And if I stay, I'm only putting you in more danger."

"Then let me come with you."

"No."

It shouldn't have been that simple, but apparently it was. Elphaba grabbed her hat and broom and went to the window. Glinda ducked her head to the side and pressed her chin to her shoulder, unable to watch her leave again. She heard the window open and held her breath as Elphaba paused.

"I'm sorry, Glinda." She meant it, too. Glinda could hear it in her voice. "I love you."

Glinda's lip trembled, and she grit her teeth to still it. She wanted to say it back—she was screaming it in her head—but instead she twisted, turning ever so slightly away.

Elphaba sighed. There was a rustle, and a small creak from the window, and then Glinda heard a quiet rush of air. Glinda broke and ran toward the window, crying out, "Elphie!"

It was too late. Elphaba had disappeared into the night, leaving nothing but the freezing wind behind her.

Glinda clutched the windowsill until her knuckles turned white. "I love you," she whispered. She collapsed, her knees hitting hard against the floor while her hands remained on the window above her. Magic surged through her, nearly suffocating her, and she let it out with a sob. It tore through the room, but she didn't look back to see the damage.

She realized suddenly what day it was. Tomorrow, Morrible would be expecting her answer. Glinda's arms fell to wrap around her waist as she coughed out another cry. If only Elphaba had let Glinda go with her. She could leave Shiz and all its horrors behind. She would never have to work for Morrible or the Wizard. She could protect Elphaba. She could prevent anything like this from ever happening again.

The floor was stained beneath her. Glinda flinched and scrambled back, staring at it. The image of Elphaba lying there, pale and bleeding and unmoving, burned in her mind. Another sob tore through her throat, and Glinda coughed so violently she thought she would be sick. She rushed to the bathroom.

It was nearly half an hour before she had calmed down enough to breathe again. Her throat was raw, her eyes itched, and her sides ached, but her mind was clear. She scrubbed her face, yanked on her shoes and coat, and left the room.

The night was bitter cold, but she didn't feel it. Her breath released in short little puffs, floating above her for a split second before disappearing again. She was done with feeling helpless. She was done begging, opening her heart, hoping it would be enough, only to shatter even more whenever Elphaba left again. One day, she could actually lose Elphaba to this. She refused to sit quietly at Shiz and wait for that to happen.

It was dark, but it wasn't too late for the sorcery building to be locked. Glinda didn't have to think about where she was going. Her feet carried her past her usual classroom and deeper into the building. She paused for a split second outside the closed door, then pushed her way in, not even bothering to knock.

Morrible was sitting at her desk, writing something down. The briefest hint of shock crossed her face when she looked up, but she recovered quickly.

"Miss Glinda," she said calmly. "This is a surprise. I thought I would have to track you down over the weekend."

"Not necessary." Glinda's voice was hard. It sounded strange, even to her own ears. "I'll take the job."


	25. Chapter 25

Glinda wasn't sure what to feel as she walked out of the sorcery building. She didn't feel angry, or uncertain, or scared, like she thought she would. She didn't really feel…anything. Resigned, maybe, but mostly just empty.

It wasn't that late. There was a chance the boys would still be at the café, lounging around after dinner. Glinda sighed and changed her path to head there. Part of her thought that, if she didn't tell them everything now, she never would. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and walked a little faster. An hour ago, Elphaba had been in her room. Now…

As soon as she walked into their view, the boys knew something was wrong. Fiyero was already at his feet, the others also moving to stand, but she waved them off and sank into the empty chair next to Boq. Her eyes darted around, but the building was nearly empty. The only other movement was in the kitchen, where dishes were clanking around noisily.

"I need to tell you something," Glinda said quietly. "Actually, I need to tell you a lot."

Crope and Tibbett looked grave. Fiyero watched her intently. Boq opened his mouth, then thought better and shut it again. Glinda stared down at the table and tried not to shift under their gaze.

"I was just in Morrible's office. I…I told her I'd take the job." Her neck prickled with heat, but to her surprise, none of them made a sound. They just waited, holding their breath. Glinda's mouth went dry, but she tried to keep going. "You know I didn't have much of a choice, but there's more to it than that. I feel like… I couldn't…" She huffed, rubbing her forehead.

"I don't understand," said Boq. "There has to be some other way— _something_ other than working for Morrible."

"I—"

"And the Wizard!" Boq curled his hands into fists and glared down at the table. "How can you agree to help them?"

"Boq, calm down. Let her talk." Crope reached across the table and covered Boq's fist with his hand, then looked up at Glinda.

She pressed her lips together and shook her head, eyes already stinging.

"See? You have no answer." Boq's voice darkened. "You want to go, don't you?"

Tibbett scowled at Boq like he was about to scold him, but Glinda shook her head again. "Yes," she squeaked.

Fiyero jerked a little in his seat, his eyes wide. She could feel them all staring at her, she could feel the shock and the hurt—especially from Boq. She gasped for air, struggling, needing to explain.

"I know—I'm not trying to—if I do this—"

"I need some air," Boq muttered, pushing away from the table. Glinda reached desperately for him, but he jerked away from her and walked quickly out of the building.

"I'll get him," Fiyero said. He gave Glinda one last look, but she couldn't read his face. Then he, too, was gone.

Glinda no longer felt empty. She felt terribly, overwhelmingly full of emotion, and she didn't know how to let it out. She sucked in a breath, but it did little to help.

"Whoa, hey." In an instant, Crope and Tibbett were on either side of her, their hands on her knees. "Glinda, breathe, okay?"

Glinda lowered her head to her hands. Her fingers dug into her hair, scratching painfully at her scalp. She felt like she was suffocating. Her breath caught in her throat and she choked, coughing hard. Crope put his hand on her back, and she struggled not to flinch away. He wasn't the one she wanted.

It took a few moments, but they eventually got her breathing again. Almost immediately, she pushed their hands away. It still felt like she was suffocating.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You should go find Boq."

"But—"

"It's okay. I'm okay."

She watched, numbly, as they glanced at each other. They had a brief, silent conversation, and it made her wince. But then they each rose to their feet, kissed the top of her head, and left.

Glinda propped her elbows on the table and fell forward until her head was in her hands. She ran her fingers through her hair, wincing again at the sting her nails had made, and sighed. She could still hear the clanking of dishes and running water from the kitchen, but it felt strangely out of place. _She_ felt out of place.

She stayed there for a long while.

* * *

"Fae!"

Elphaba didn't even make it through the door of the corn exchange before Peric flew at her, knocking her back. She managed to get the door closed and fell against it, slumping to the ground. Peric hopped back enough to give her air, but still hovered close. His eyes were hard, and more than once she heard him snap his beak.

"Where in _Oz_ were you? What happened?"

Malky appeared, giving Peric a stern look. "Are you hurt?" he asked her.

Elphaba felt terrible. Her limbs were shaking from exhaustion. The burns on her side and back were throbbing with every move, and the scar from the bullet hurt so bad she was blinking away spots. She shook her head ever so slightly.

Peric settled a little. "You're lying. What is it? What can we do?"

Elphaba shook her head again and tried pushing herself to her feet. Peric hopped to her side and helped nudge her up. She stumbled over to her bed and did her best not to collapse on it.

"My—"

Malky appeared with the bottle of oil she used for burns. She mumbled a thank you and held it in her lap. She couldn't use it without taking off her dress, she couldn't do that until Malky and Peric left, and they weren't going to leave until she gave them some sort of explanation.

"What happened?" Peric asked, softer this time. "We heard the gunshot, and then I saw you on the broom, and we thought you had gotten away, but you didn't come back and—"

"I passed out," Elphaba said. "Kind of. I wasn't controlling the broom. It just took me away."

Peric tilted his head. "You were heading north when I lost sight of you. Where…?" He blinked as comprehension dawned. "Shiz."

Elphaba sighed heavily. "I honestly don't remember getting there. I woke up in my old bed. Apparently Glinda found me collapsed by the window in our room."

Malky murmured something about _that poor thing,_ but Peric was shaking his head. "I don't get it. You were burned. You were _shot_ , weren't you? How did you manage to make it there? How did you make it _back_ after just one day?"

"Glinda." Elphaba twisted her fingers together, then pulled them apart again. "She used magic. It's nothing but a scar now. Well, a painful scar."

"She used _magic_?" Malky's eyes were wide. Peric studied her, and she shifted around at the knowing look in his eyes.

"Fae." She hated the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," she said firmly. "Things…didn't go that well. But she's okay, and I'm here, so it's fine."

"F—"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You _never_ want to talk about it."

"Yeah. And now I _really_ don't want to." Because it was worse now. It was so much worse. She could still see Glinda across the room, turning away from her, not saying the words back. Not saying anything. "I can't," she whispered.

There was something in her voice—some vulnerable sort of honesty—that made Peric back off.

Malky cleared his throat. "I should go report, let them know you're okay." he said. "I'll ask for a few days off, too."

"We don't need—" Elphaba stopped at the look Malky gave her. "Okay."

He nodded and left, leaping up a stack of crates to the window before disappearing through it.

Elphaba turned back to Fae. "What have I missed?" she asked. "You two made it back here okay, right?"

"Yeah. We were fine. We left all the trouble with you." Peric huffed. "Just so you know, you're _never_ doing that again."

"Doing what?"

"Risking your life for us." Peric glared at her, silencing her protest. She sighed, her lips twitching into a tiny smile.

"Noted," she said. "Not that you can really stop me."

"We'll see about that," said Peric. "I'll let you sleep, though."

Elphaba's eyes instantly felt heavier. She nodded, and he nipped lightly at her braid before flying out of sight.

Elphaba forced herself to pull the top half of her dress off and take care of her side before falling asleep. It was a fight to keep her eyes open, and she kept imagining Glinda's hands instead of her own, rubbing oil into the burns. "I'm sorry," she breathed, not caring that she had said it out loud. "Glinda, I'm so sorry."

She grabbed fresh bandages from the cluster of bottles and jars sitting by her bed and somehow managed to redress the burns before falling back. It hurt to curl up, but she did it anyway, needing the tiny comfort it brought.

* * *

Elphaba grew restless over the next few days. They didn't have any work, but Malky went back and forth between the underground and the corn exchange, and Peric often left at night to stretch his wings and check out what was happening around the city. Meanwhile, she was stuck in the corn exchange. And though she was still healing just fine, it was at a much slower rate than when she'd been with Glinda.

She tried not to dwell on that too much. It didn't matter. She was here, and Glinda was at Shiz. Nothing was going to change that.

Peric came back late one night, a scrunched up stack of papers in his talons.

"Check this out," he said, landing near Elphaba and dropping them into her lap. Malky padded over, his head tilted curiously.

Elphaba smoothed the papers out in front of her. They were all pages from various newspapers over the past week, and they all had some story about the Witch. She skimmed a few.

"This is brutal," she muttered. "Normally they're just exaggerations, but this—look, 'Witch Burns Apothecary, Leaves Child Injured'—that's from a few days ago. I wasn't even _here_."

"It's funny," said Peric. "We haven't done anything all week, yet they're talking about us more than ever."

Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the stories. "They're trying to create more hysteria against me. But…why now?"

Another title caught her eye, and she pulled the paper out from under the rest. _Rumors Surround Wizard's New Protégé—cont'd._ The article was incomplete, missing its first page, and only consisted of a short conclusion paragraph:

 _Not much is known, as the public awaits an official statement from the palace, but it seems that this apprentice will be training under some of Oz's greatest sorcerers, including the Wizard himself. It is unclear whether they are meant as a future Gale Force officer, an Emerald City ambassador, or even a possible successor to the throne. Either way, Oz's citizens eagerly await the arrival of what will undoubtedly be a figure of hope in these disturbing times._

Malky stretched up, placing his front paws on her arm and peering over her shoulder to read. "That would be why," he said. "Whoever the Wizard has hired, their job is to be your opposite."

Elphaba felt uneasy—far more uneasy than she should. Was this why the Wizard made her a public enemy in the first place? So he could create a new figure to oppose her? She shook her head. She didn't know what all of this meant, but she was sure they'd find out soon, and she was sure that it wouldn't be good.

* * *

Glinda stood in front of her open wardrobe. She willed herself to pull out a dress and take it over to her suitcase, but her arms remained still at her sides. It wasn't a new occurrence. Morrible had given her a week to pack, and all week she had been shut in her room, trying to convince herself to do it. The farthest she had gotten was cleaning the blood stain near the window and tossing a single pair of shoes into her bag.

She hadn't seen the boys since that night at the café. Tomorrow, she would be on her way to the Emerald City with Morrible, and she had almost nothing packed and no idea if she would be able to say goodbye.

A knock on her door made her jump. She unfroze and turned away from the wardrobe, frowning.

The expression slipped into shock as she opened the door. Boq, Fiyero, Crope, and Tibbett were there, hovering in the hallway.

"What in Oz are you doing?" Glinda asked, her voice hushed. "You can't be in here, Morrible will kill you."

Boq rolled his eyes. "Does it really matter, at this point? She's already gotten what she wants, and I'll be damned if she gets to take away our last day together, too."

Glinda blinked, then brushed at her eyes, unable to say anything. Boq gave her a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you."

"N-no, it's okay," she stammered. "You have every right to be—"

"Even if that were true," Fiyero interrupted, "there's nothing we can do about it now."

"Except maybe help you pack," said Crope, peering through the doorway. He made a disapproving noise. "Seriously, Glinda. Don't you leave tomorrow?"

"I'm…having trouble finding motivation."

"We'll help!" Tibbett exclaimed. He hooked an arm through Crope's and all but skipped into the room. Glinda smiled and stepped aside to let Boq and Fiyero through. Fiyero wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she closed the door and leaned against it. She smiled up at him, then turned her attention to Crope and Tibbett, who were already judging her wardrobe.

"I'm guessing you're not taking everything, correct?" said Crope. He glanced at her bed, where only two suitcases sat, mostly empty.

"Morrible made it sound like I could go with just the clothes on my back, and they'd provide everything else."

"Some job," Fiyero said, raising his eyebrows. Glinda just shook her head.

"Okay, but we don't trust Morrible. So, clothes." Tibbett pulled out a plain, cream-colored dress and made a face. "Glinda, dear, this will never work."

"I like that dress!" she protested, walking over to them.

"Look, Tibbett and I are Emerald City fashion experts, okay?" Crope took the dress from Tibbett and placed it firmly back in the wardrobe. "Just trust us." He pulled out another dress and held it up against Glinda. Tibbett tilted his head, then nodded.

"Acceptable."

Glinda rolled her eyes but couldn't quite bite back her smile as she took the dress and folded it into her suitcase.

While Crope and Tibbett took apart her wardrobe, Fiyero and Boq helped her gather everything else. There wasn't much. Fiyero pulled her soaps and perfumes and makeup from the bathroom and wrapped them carefully in her clothes. Boq picked apart her desk, though he did more reading than actual packing. Glinda wandered over to him as he grabbed an old, faded architecture book.

"Elphie gave that to me," she said, recognizing it. "Ages ago. Our first semester here, in fact. The library was about to throw it out, so she took it."

"So that's a must," he said, handing it to her. "Do you want any of your other books?"

Glinda clutched the book to her chest. "Um. Sorcery. And math." Boq grabbed the books she pointed out and stacked them. She took them over to her bed and tucked them into one of the suitcases.

Crope and Tibbett came over, each with an armful of outfits, and helped her fold them away. Crope held up her favorite, worn sweater, giving her a smile.

"For comfort," he said, handing it to her. "But, please, don't wear it in public."

The exasperation in his voice made her giggle. "You forget, I used to be the queen here at Shiz. I think I can handle myself." At least, when it came to fashion.

With the boys' help, it only took an hour or so to pack away everything she would need. When they were done, her side of the room looked a lot like Elphie's: empty, but with just enough stuff to tell that someone had once lived there. Glinda knelt next to one of her bags and tucked a few final things into it—her sketchbook, the set of pencils, and the jar of burn cream that was still sitting on the table between the beds.

Fiyero walked up beside her and held out a little glass jar. "We…thought we'd have a picnic tonight. I know your magic makes you nervous, but…one last time?"

Glinda took the jar from him and held out her hand. It shook a little, but she took a deep breath and cupped her fingers. She focused on the center of her palm, where the bones of her fingers began. For a moment, she was lost in the memory of the first time she had conjured flames. She could feel Elphaba squeezing her hand, running back and forth over her palm, how her skin had tingled beneath Elphaba's, how she had stared at her in wonder as Glinda went on about magic.

She smiled a little then, and the middle of her hand heated up until a tiny fire appeared, flickering an inch or so above her palm. The flames were still tinged pink, and Glinda felt herself tear up as she noticed the color.

She scooped the flames into the jar and held it to her chest. "Let's go."

Crope and Tibbett ran off to get food while Fiyero, Boq, and Glinda pulled the blankets from her bed. They met up near the main square of campus and walked together to the far side of the lake, where their usual small groves of trees were scattered across the ground. The campus was bare, dreary, and cold, but once they spread the blankets out and Glinda let the fire grow a little, they were perfectly cozy.

It was all so familiar. They didn't eat much, and they didn't talk about anything important. Crope and Tibbett announced their recent idea of opening a bar in the Emerald City after graduation, and Boq mumbled something about calling it. At Tibbett's urging, Fiyero told a couple of legends he had heard growing up, most of them about the Kells and Kumbricia's Pass. Glinda added another story about Kumbricia that she had read in one of the sorcery books in the library. Boq rolled his eyes, but Crope and Tibbett looked delighted.

"We need a good storyteller for our bar," Tibbett said, looking at Crope. "Don't you think?"

Crope nodded. "Fiyero, you're hired."

"Sorry. I'll be busy being a prince after graduation."

"Well, on your days off, then."

At one point, Boq moved around their little circle and sat cross-legged next to Glinda. His eyes were sad as he turned to her.

"I really am sorry, you know." His voice was too soft for the others to hear. "I won't pretend to understand why you're doing this, but I…I want to support you. I know you're doing what's best."

Glinda set her chin on her knees. "I just keep thinking that…maybe this way, I can do something. I can help her. I can help Oz."

"Maybe you're right." Boq sighed. "I still think you're crazy."

"I know."

"I'm going to miss you."

Glinda glanced up at him. He would have to leave soon, too. With the secession being announced any day now, and the Eminent making arrangements to meet with the Wizard—possibly even now, as they spoke—he had until the end of break, maybe a little longer. She looked around at the rest of them. Fiyero seemed to sense her gaze and looked up to meet it. Crope and Tibbett noticed, too, and fell quiet.

It really was the end, wasn't it? Maybe it had been for a while, but now they couldn't draw it out any longer. She looked back at Boq.

"I'll miss you, too."

* * *

Glinda woke early and with little sleep, but she was instantly awake. Her heart pounded and her stomach felt knotted, but she changed into the outfit Crope and Tibbett had picked out for her the day before.

"Arrive in this, and they'll love you," Crope had said, holding out a knee-length emerald dress.

"Isn't that a bit cliché?" Glinda had asked as Tibbett pulled out a pair of small golden earrings.

"Maybe, but it's better to play it safe. Besides, I'd like to think of it as a small act of spite. You're not matching the city, you're matching Elphie."

Glinda pulled on a thick pair of tights and grabbed her coat, shoes, and hat. For a moment, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror and pictured herself next to Elphaba. She _would_ look nice. Maybe Elphaba would be wearing that dark purple sweater and her black pants, and maybe she would have let Glinda do her hair, and her eyes would shine so that the gold flecks in them stood out, and…

Glinda shook her head and stepped back. She turned in a slow circle, looking around the room, but she didn't have the energy to be sentimental. It had all been spent last night, when she was saying her goodbyes to the boys. She took a deep breath and grabbed her two bags, then left the dorm.

Madame Morrible was already at the front gates, her luggage already loaded into the carriage. The driver took Glinda's bags from her and went to put them away.

Morrible looked her up and down. "You're making the right choice, my dear."

"Every time you say that, my resolve wavers," said Glinda.

Morrible made a disapproving noise, then turned her back on her and climbed into the cab. Glinda let out a breath and looked over her shoulder. Shiz stretched out behind her, cold, empty, and somehow peaceful. The sky was dreary and a little darker than usual. She wondered if her friends were awake yet.

"Madame? What will happen to Shiz, if you're in the Emerald City?"

"Does it really matter?"

"I'm curious."

Morrible scowled and looked like she was about to snap at her, but the driver appeared and started climbing up to his bench to take the reins. She narrowed her eyes.

"If you must know, an interim headmistress will be put in my place until she is replaced or decides to stay."

"Will you never come back?"

" _You_ are my priority now, Miss Glinda, and it would seem that we are both moving on to greater things."

Glinda wasn't so sure about that. She looked back one last time at the campus. Past the main square, over the tops of the closer buildings, she could see just a corner of Crage Hall. She wondered if Elphaba had looked back, too, before she left.

"Come now, Miss Glinda. It's several hours to the city, and I would like to get there before nightfall."

Glinda turned away and, wordlessly, climbed into the carriage. She curled up into the corner, as far away from Morrible as possible. The driver clicked his tongue and, after a moment, they were off.

Glinda stared out the window as they rolled away. Just before Shiz faded from sight, it began to snow.

* * *

It was late afternoon when they arrived at the Emerald City. Glinda shrank away from the window, though she still looked dully out. She was sure the city was wondrous, but she didn't bother taking it in—not even as the carriage pulled through an elaborate gate and up to what was unmistakably the Wizard's palace.

A small crowd of people had gathered around the carriage, and they immediately set about collecting their bags and taking care of the horses. Morrible led her up the front steps to a tall, golden double door. Two Gale Force men stood in front of it, and they both shouldered their guns to push the doors open and let them through.

A couple of servants had followed them, carrying their bags, and now one stepped in front of Morrible.

"Where to, Miss?"

"Glinda's quarters first," said Morrible. He nodded and led them through a grand, open foyer and up a staircase. Just the entrance hall was a mess of hallways and stairs and balconies and ornate doorways, all glittering and pristine, all blurring in Glinda's mind. She was immediately sure that she would never learn her way around.

They stopped and the servant leading them unlocked a door. Morrible nudged Glinda through, and she stepped inside, her jaw dropping despite herself. The chambers were luxurious beyond anything she could imagine. A giant bed was made up with beautiful, perfectly folded sheets. The room was cluttered with furniture, all dark, plush, and shining. A wardrobe even bigger than the one she had in Frottica was open in the corner, revealing rows and rows of clothes Glinda would have once drooled over.

 _Galinda_ would have been ecstatic about all of this. The more she looked around the room, the more extravagant it was. The servants were eyeing her with kind curiosity. Outside her window, the Emerald City glowed in the sunset.

Morrible watched her carefully, but she hid any contempt. "You have the evening to yourself, to rest and get settled. In the morning, you and I will meet for breakfast."

One of the servants slipped into the room and set Glinda's bags down at the foot of the bed. Glinda watched her, then turned to Morrible, blushing a little.

"How will I—I don't know—"

"Someone will escort you," said Morrible, waving her hand dismissively. The woman who had brought in Glinda's bags looked up at her and smiled kindly, nodding a little.

"O-okay."

Morrible gave her one last look, then left, most of the servants bustling out after her.

"Would you like help unpacking?"

Glinda started a little and turned toward the woman by her bags. She was still smiling kindly. "I can help you get settled, if you wish. Of course, you may be tired from the trip and want some alone time. It's up to you."

Glinda was torn. She wanted to be alone, but everything was so overwhelming, the thought made her nervous. The servant seemed to understand her hesitation.

"How about we get your clothes hung up and I'll draw a bath, and then I'll leave you alone. Sound good?"

"Yes," Glinda tried to say, but no noise came out. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

The woman made quick work of her first bag, and in no time all the clothes Glinda had brought were tucked neatly into the wardrobe. She made for the second bag, but Glinda covered the latch with her hand. The suitcase was mostly her books and makeup, but it also had her worn, comfortable sweater, the jar of burn cream, and her sketchbook. She gave the servant a small smile.

"I'll get this one later," she said. "It's been a long day."

The woman nodded. "Of course. I'll leave you be. I can send someone up with dinner, though, if you'd like."

"That sounds lovely. Thank you."

She smiled a little and shook her head. "There's no need to thank us, Miss Glinda. We're at your service here."

Glinda frowned slightly, but the woman left before she could respond. Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet and lifted her suitcase onto the bed. She took her time unpacking. She spread her bottles across the counter in her bathroom, organizing and reorganizing them until a man arrived with a tray of food.

"Your dinner, Miss Glinda," he announced. "I apologize, I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, of course not," said Glinda, hurrying back to the main room.

"Just leave the tray outside the door when you're finished, and we'll take care of the rest," he said warmly. He set it on the bedside table and bowed out before Glinda could properly thank him, leaving her standing in the middle of the room, feeling overwhelmingly lost.

She ate a little as she took out her books and set them in a row on her desk. The sketchbook she tucked into the drawer on the nightstand, along with the jar of burn cream. When she was finished she sat down carefully on the bed, looking around. Morrible had been right. She could have arrived with nothing and still have everything she would ever need. Her room was beautiful. The food was amazing. The view from her window was stunning.

She looked down at the fluffed pillows and soft blankets that were all too inviting, and she realized how long it had been—almost a year—since she slept in a bed that didn't smell like Elphaba.

"Pathetic," she mumbled to herself, shoving the now-empty suitcase off the bed. She pushed the blankets down and curled up against the pillows, facing the window. It was night now, but the city was still bright. The light shone through the window and kept her room from becoming completely dark. Glinda scowled and, after a moment's concentration, the curtains slid shut.

* * *

Just as Morrible said, a servant knocked on Glinda's door the next morning to take her down to breakfast. She tried to pay attention to where they were going. Left down the hall, down a half flight of stairs, to the right across a walkway that stretched above an open room on the floor below, right again—but it was too much to remember. She was never going to learn her way around. Glinda blinked a few times and tried to compose herself.

The servant opened the door to a small dining hall and curtsied as she passed, bowing her head. Glinda did her best not to shift around, uncomfortable with the attention, but she was snapped out of her thoughts by the sight of Morrible at the table, reading a newspaper.

"Sit, my dear, sit. They've already brought out your food."

Glinda shuffled over to sit across from Morrible. A man came and set a glass of water in front of her.

"Can I get you anything else to drink? Juice, tea, cocoa?"

"Cocoa, please," Glinda said quietly. "Can you make it with milk?"

He smiled a little. "Of course."

She looked up to see Morrible narrowing her eyes at her. Now Glinda did shift uncomfortably. She didn't know what happened next. She had no idea.

"Are you settled in, Miss Glinda?" Morrible asked.

"I'm unpacked," said Glinda. As if it was the same thing.

Morrible nodded, though, and folded her paper. Glinda tried to read the headlines, but Morrible set it too far away.

"Now," said Morrible. "Let's talk about your schedule."

"My…schedule?"

"Most of your time will be spent training, of course. You and I will continue our daily lessons."

 _Of course,_ Glinda thought. "Will I only be training with you?"

"There will be other instructors, but most of your time will be with me, yes." The man returned with a mug of cocoa, and Morrible waited for him to set it beside Glinda and leave before she continued. "We will begin right away, but that is not all you're doing. We have to work on your public image as well."

Glinda paused and looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you've seen some of this." Morrible slid the newspaper over to her. It was from the day before, and the front page story was about Elphaba. "The Wicked Witch of the West is spreading unease throughout the city," Morrible said. "The Wizard needs a public figure to bring reassurance to the people."

Glinda automatically shook her head. That was Elphaba. She couldn't oppose her, least of all for the Wizard.

But Morrible leaned in. "May I remind you, Miss Glinda, that Elphaba Thropp is a traitor to Oz."

Glinda shoved the paper back at her. "I don't understand," she said. "If the Wizard didn't want unease in his city, why did he create this image for her in the first place?"

"She created it for herself."

"That's a lie, _Madame_ , and you know it."

Morrible sat back and glared at her. "Thus far I have tolerated your defense of Miss Thropp," she said darkly, "But the people here are far less lenient."

"You're threatening me." They hadn't even been here for a full day.

"Really, my dear, I don't know why you're surprised." Morrible rose from the table and gestured for Glinda to follow. "Come. Your first public appearance is in a few days, and we have a lot of work to do before then."

Public appearance? Glinda didn't like any of this, but all she could think of to say was, "I haven't even eaten yet."

"And whose fault is that? If you hadn't wasted your time arguing with me, you would have time to eat."

Glinda looked back at her plate of food and the rich, steaming hot cocoa that sat next to it.

"Glinda." Morrible's voice harsh. Swallowing, she turned and followed Morrible out of the dining hall and further into the maze that was the Wizard's palace.


	26. Chapter 26

Elphaba bent over her broom. The ground blurred, just a few feet beneath her, and she reached up to tug her hat more securely over her head. In front of her, Peric tilted his wings and angled sharply to the left

She bent her wrist just a little and the broom immediately responded, swerving to follow him. She heard Peric chuckle, then beat his wings down hard, surging into the air. Elphaba pulled the broom up and flew after him.

He eased up once they were high in the air, slowing down until she was beside him.

"Pretty impressive, Fae."

"I'm a girl of many talents," she deadpanned.

He rolled his eyes. "Feel like heading back?"

She nodded silently, and together they angled themselves toward the city. They flew low over the walls and landed quietly in an alley a few blocks away from the corn exchange.

Malky was waiting for them when they returned. He paced across the middle of the floor, his head and tail bent low.

"What's up?" asked Elphaba. She noticed a newspaper spread out across the floor near him.

"News," said Malky.

"Bad?" Peric asked, hopping over.

Malky stopped and sat down. He looked past Peric and stared at Elphaba, his eyes wide and unblinking. "News," he repeated. She swallowed.

Peric was close enough to read the paper now. He fluttered his wings and tucked his head back into his neck. Elphaba's stomach dropped, and she moved forward to kneel beside them.

 _Wizard's New Protégé Makes Dazzling First Impression_

Below the bolded headline was a black and white photo of a young girl, beaming and waving at a crowd near the palace. Elphaba saw the familiar curl of her hair, the brightness of her eyes, even through the black and white. Numbly, she registered the fact that Morrible was in the picture, standing next to her, but that didn't seem to matter. All she could think of, all she could see was…

"Talk surrounding the Wizard's new apprentice reached its peak yesterday afternoon, when a Miss Glinda Upland made her first appearance outside the palace," Malky read aloud. "The young sorceress, who until now studied at Shiz—"

"Fae?" Peric asked softly. Malky stopped reading and looked between the two of him.

"She's…she didn't tell me…" Elphaba shut her eyes tight. She breathed in deep, curling her fists, then let it out, forcing herself to stop shaking. "What does this mean?"

Her voice was flat. Peric glanced at Malky, then back at her, worried.

"Fae—"

She ignored him and looked at Malky. "What does this mean? The Wizard has his public figure. We know who it is now. No more surprises. What do we do?"

He blinked slowly. "For now, nothing. We have a job tomorrow night. We do what we're told, like always."

Elphaba nodded and pushed herself to her feet, turning toward her bed.

"Fae." Peric snapped his beak when she didn't turn around. "Elphaba!"

Still no response. Calmly, she took her hat off and set it on the ground along with her broom. She laid down, pulled the blanket over her shoulders, and didn't say another word for the rest of the night.

* * *

When Peric and Malky had gone to their respective corners for the night, and no one had moved or made a sound for at least an hour, Elphaba rolled to her feet and grabbed her broom. Her eyes were dry and heavy from lack of sleep, but she ignored it and picked up the paper that was still lying in the middle of the floor. Soundlessly, she slipped onto the broom and flew out the window onto the roof.

She sat down with her knees against her chest and stared at the newspaper. Her eyes moved past the awful photograph and on to the actual article.

 _Talk surrounding the Wizard's new apprentice reached its peak yesterday afternoon, when a Miss Glinda Upland made her first appearance outside the palace. The young sorceress, who until now studied at Shiz, arrived in the Emerald City about a week ago and has been busy ever since._

" _Miss Glinda is a talented young girl," says one of her instructors, ex-headmistress of Shiz, Madame Morrible. "Of course, a job with the Wizard is quite the step up from the classroom, so she is already hard at work training."_

 _Training for what, exactly? We asked the same thing, and while no one at the palace could give us an answer, a few of Miss Glinda's servants had their own piece to say._

" _Miss Glinda is one of the most courteous young ladies I've ever had the pleasure of serving," says one of the kitchen staff._

 _A lady's maid agrees. "She is sweet, kindhearted, just…good."_

 _We have to agree. Glinda "the Good" charmed the crowd at her public appearance, and according to Morrible, there's a lot more where that came from._

" _It is still early," she says, "but the public will be seeing a lot of Miss Glinda in the future. Our hope is that she can be a symbol of…well, hope. Goodness and light for the people of the Emerald City, and all of Oz."_

Elphaba crumbled the paper, then tried to tear it to shreds. When it didn't work as well as she wanted, she let out a quiet snarl and let the magic flow through her until the paper was ablaze in her hands.

She threw the ashes off the side of the roof and resisted the urge to scream. _Glinda the Good_. It brought a hot, metallic taste to her mouth, and for a moment she swore her vision tinged red. She bit her cheek until she tasted blood and let her face fall into her hands.

The night wasn't quiet. Elphaba could hear noise in the distance: echoing drunken shouts, the groaning of crumbling buildings, bitter, howling wind. Somewhere in this city, right now, was Glinda.

No, not somewhere—in the palace. With Morrible. With the Wizard.

How could she do this? Elphaba didn't even know she was studying sorcery until just a couple weeks ago. Did she know, when she last saw Elphaba, that she was moving to the Emerald City? How long had this been an option? It was Morrible's idea, undoubtedly. Morrible had given her the offer. But how long ago? And why didn't Glinda _tell_ her?

The air started humming around her, and Elphaba realized she was shaking. She felt so betrayed. She felt angry—no, furious. She felt…she felt…

 _Unsure._ Why didn't Glinda tell her? Elphaba saw, yet again, the image of Glinda standing across the room, turning away from her. _I love you_ , Elphaba had said, and Glinda had given her no response. Was it over? Had she hurt Glinda too many times, and now…?

She heard a whimper, and Elphaba's face burned with embarrassment and the effort it took to control her magic and—oh _Oz_ , was she crying? She sucked in a breath and yanked her sleeve over her hand to dab at her eyes before more tears could fall and burn her.

She clenched her jaw until it hurt and shoved the emotion down. If Glinda didn't care anymore, then neither did she. And since Glinda was here, working for the very people who were destroying Oz, then she clearly didn't care. Elphaba had Peric, and Malky, and her work with the Resistance. Nothing else mattered. It couldn't matter.

A rush of emotion—rage, despair, grief, unlike anything she had ever felt before—threatened to choke her, but she let out a small cough and shut it down. Glinda the Good. How pathetic. How fake. And yet, how clever. She was good at charming a crowd, manipulating the people to get what she wanted. She always had been. The people of Oz would love her.

But as for Elphaba? She hated her. _Hated_ her.

* * *

Glinda felt as though she had been running for a week and a half without stopping. Life at the palace was exhausting, and Morrible said she wasn't even doing much yet.

She had been announced to the public a few days ago. There had been cameras and journalists and crowds of strangers calling her name, asking her questions. She had been so overwhelmed she was dizzy, but Morrible's hand dug into her shoulder, so she put on her best smile. She had always been good at putting on a smile.

After that, she had only left the palace a couple of times, mostly just to meet a few of the city's higher ups. There would be more public appearances later, Morrible had told her. Community work, charities, things like that—but for now, she was focusing on settling into the palace.

She still didn't know her way around. The staff and servants were always kind to her, but she felt out of place, especially when they shook their heads as she thanked them. She was anxious all the time, afraid that she would mess up somehow and everyone in this huge, overwhelming city would turn on her. She thought constantly of Elphie, but after Morrible's threats, she fought hard not to let it show. She thought about Shiz, too, and of Boq and Fiyero and Crope and Tibbett, and their corner in the café or the grove of trees they always sat beneath.

Mostly, though, she trained. She spent hours every day with Morrible. Once, another sorceress came in for about an hour of the lesson. Morrible eased up while she was there, and the other instructor had only praise for Glinda. But as soon as she left, Morrible was running her ragged once more.

It was during one of these sessions that a man walked into the room. Morrible tilted her head at him and told Glinda to stop the activity she was doing. Glinda did, immediately blushing as she saw the man. She was breathing hard and sweating, and from the way Morrible had responded, this man was important.

He didn't _look_ important, though. He was short and plain, and whatever hair left on his head was graying. He looked vaguely familiar, and as he moved to stand next to Morrible, Glinda realized she had seen him once before, in a picture on Morrible's desk.

"Miss Glinda," he said, smiling at her. "I'm so pleased to finally meet you. I apologize for taking this long, but it's a busy time, what with this business with Munchkinland. I'm sure you understand."

Glinda blinked. "The…Wizard?"

His smile widened, and he looked genuinely delighted. "Yes, my dear. I'm not quite what you expected, am I? Don't worry, it's a common occurrence. That's why I don't do many public appearances, you see."

She couldn't think of anything to say. It didn't seem to matter. The Wizard came forward and grasped her hand in both of his.

"I must say, you were quite the darling in front of all those people the other day. The whole city is talking about you. Glinda the Good, they keep calling you. I rather like it, don't you? What do you think, Madame Morrible?"

"I believe it suits her image well." Morrible's voice was cheerful, but her eyes were narrowed dangerously at Glinda.

"Exactly right," said the Wizard. "Now, Miss Glinda, to business. There's a reason I wanted to visit you today. You see, you couldn't have arrived at a better time."

"Why is that?" Glinda asked, somewhat warily. The Wizard just grinned, still squeezing her hand.

"I'm sure you've heard all about Munchkinland's intention to secede, yes? Well, the Eminent Thropp will be coming to the palace in just a few days to work out negotiations. I would love it if you could join me in welcoming her."

"M-me?"

"Yes," he said. "See, our new Eminent is just a little younger than you. I can't imagine how stressed and nervous she must be feeling. It is my hope that seeing another young ambassador like yourself can put her at ease a bit."

Glinda blinked a little and closed her mouth, trying to come up with a response. "I-I don't—I mean—y-yes, of course—"

"Excellent!" the Wizard cried. He turned to grin at Morrible. "We'll have to work out details later. I assure you, Miss Glinda, you will be a great help."

He gave her hand one last squeeze, then quickly left the room. Glinda resisted the urge to wince. Had she really just agreed so easily to him? But then, how else did one respond to the _Wizard_?

"Focus, Miss Glinda. We're not done here."

Glinda tried to put her attention back on sorcery, but inwardly she couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. What exactly did they want her to do? What was going to happen to Nessarose while she was here?

And, most distracting of all—she was going to meet Elphie's little sister?

* * *

Nessarose Thropp arrived the next week. Late in the evening, Glinda was led down to the entrance hall. The Wizard was there, surrounded by a few attendants, all of them in dark green suits. Almost a dozen other palace officials—Gale Force officers, politicians, and a couple of sorcerers that Glinda recognized from her sessions with Morrible—were lining up along the wall. Morrible was there, too, and she beckoned Glinda over to position her at the end of the line.

She grabbed Glinda's shoulders and bent down to speak in her ear. "You have no connection to the Thropp family, do you understand?"

Glinda tilted her head away, but Morrible's fingers dug into her arms. "Answer me, Miss Glinda. There is more at stake here than your petty crush."

"I understand," Glinda mumbled. She blinked a couple times, but she had too much makeup on to cry now. Morrible let go of her, satisfied enough, and stood to her side.

The small crowd that had gathered in the foyer chatted as they waited, but Glinda stayed quiet. She recognized a few faces, and if she was put on the spot she could probably come up with names to match, but she felt like a stranger there. Then again, maybe that was why the Wizard wanted Nessa to meet her.

Finally, the doors opened. Glinda was prepared, but apparently the others were not. Nessarose Thropp wheeled into the palace, scowling as the line of politicians struggled to compose their shock.

The Wizard had no such problem. "Everyone," he called, bouncing forward to stand next to her. "May I present Miss Nessarose Thropp, Eminent of Munchkinland. Miss Thropp?" He held out his arm, motioning her forward.

They went slowly down the line as the Wizard introduced the palace officials. Nessarose was perfectly polite. She returned bows with a duck of her head and a pleasant, "Pleased to meet you." But Glinda had become good at reading Thropps, and the more she watched Nessa, the more she saw.

Her manners were flawless—better than Elphaba's ever were, Glinda thought—but beneath her words was a cold sort of dignity. She held her chin high, even as she did her little bow. Her eyes were willful, guarded. There were so many small, stubborn things that reminded Glinda of Elphaba. The sharp line of her jaw, the angle of her brow—their eyes were even the same shade of brown.

All of a sudden, the Wizard and Nessarose were in front of her. Glinda put on her most winning smile and curtsied a little.

"Your Eminence," she said quietly.

"This," said the Wizard, "is Miss Glinda Upland. She is the newest member of our little family here."

Glinda would have had a hard time stopping herself from rolling her eyes, but she was too focused on Nessarose. The younger girl's expression had shifted, just for a second, when Glinda's name was announced. Glinda tried to read her eyes, but whatever recognition that was there had vanished, replaced with that cold dignity that seemed to radiate off of the Eminent.

The Wizard didn't seem to notice. "You are very tired from your trip, I assume? A servant can show you to your room. Your bags have already been brought up, and your people are getting settled in their own chambers as we speak."

Nessarose looked away from Glinda and up at him, nodding a little.

"The night is yours, my dear," the Wizard said kindly. "If you need anything, never hesitate to ask. I will see you in the morning, yes?" He shook her hand in both of his, just as he had Glinda's, then beckoned one of the servants over.

Nessarose disappeared with the servant, and the Wizard turned back to his little entourage. He smiled and nodded, then waved over a couple of politicians, and they, too, disappeared down the hall.

Everyone began to disperse. Morrible put a hand on Glinda's shoulder and led her down the hall. They went up a staircase and rounded a corner, then Morrible pushed Glinda toward the wall, not bothering to be gentle.

Glinda twisted away from her grip and scowled up at her. "What did I do?"

"Nothing. Remarkably, you managed to do what we asked."

Glinda crossed her arms over her chest. "Then why are you dragging me around the palace?"

"Because you don't know your own way," Morrible said snidely. She turned serious. "Your job isn't over."

"What do you mean?"

"Nessarose will be spending the night in her room. The Wizard didn't schedule anything with her until tomorrow."

"So?"

"So, you are to go and have dinner with her."

Glinda blinked. "Why?"

"Because we told you to," Morrible said quietly. "That is the only reason you need."

"You want me to…what, butter her up? Convince her that the Wizard is a wonderful person and she should do everything he asks?"

"No," Morrible said. "If you do that, she'll be suspicious."

"Good. She should be."

"If she is more difficult tomorrow at the negotiations, then _you_ will be held responsible."

"And, what? You'll throw me in Southstairs?"

"That's putting it kindly," said Morrible. "But, yes. And we will advertise it to the whole city. And who do you think will come flying to rescue you?"

Glinda glared, but it was useless. Just like that, Morrible had her trapped. "Fine," she muttered. "Is there anything else you want from me?"

"Put on a smile," Morrible spat. "We want her to actually like you."

With that, she turned and stalked down the hall. Glinda leaned against the wall and pressed her palms into her eyes. The wall was made of polished stone, and it felt cold and foreign against her back. She stood upright again and smoothed out her dress.

"Forgive me, Elphie," she whispered, then she turned and headed back to the first floor, where Nessa's rooms were. "Here goes nothing."

She had to ask a servant for directions, but she eventually found Nessa's room. Glinda lingered outside the door for a while before finally raising her hand to knock softly.

"Enter," said a voice. It sounded much older than Nessa, but when Glinda carefully opened the door and slipped inside, she was the only one there.

"Hi," Glinda said, then immediately cursed herself. Since when was she awkward? She quickly put on a small smile. "I was wondering if you were hungry. We could get dinner?"

"You're asking me to join you for dinner?" Nessa's voice was overly formal. Glinda leaned back against the door, relaxing her stance.

"I thought you might want company. This place is kind of overwhelming, isn't it?" Glinda looked up and waved her hand a little. "I just arrived a couple weeks ago, and I still feel like a stranger most of the time."

Nessarose relaxed just a little, and Glinda felt the tiniest bit of guilt. She pushed it aside. She wasn't lying, so what did it matter?

"We could ask someone to bring us up a meal," Glinda said. "You wouldn't even have to leave the room."

Nessa's eyes flashed up to hers. Earlier, Glinda had thought she looked like Elphaba because of all her stubborn parts. But now, seeing just a glimpse of vulnerability in her gaze, she could see all the small, quiet, uncertain things that both sisters had. It made Glinda feel bad—not for what she was doing now, but for everything she failed to do for Elphaba.

"Okay," Nessa said quietly. "That sounds good."

Glinda smiled again, pushing away her thoughts, and went out into the hall to ask for a tray to be brought up for them. When she returned, Nessa was rolling her chair back and forth. Her shoulders were relaxed, but her eyes were still guarded.

Nessa cleared her throat when she saw Glinda again. "So, you're…Glinda Upland?"

"I am," Glinda said. There was a desk near the door, and she went to sit at it, facing Nessa.

"You went to Shiz?"

Nessarose _did_ know who she was. Elphaba must have talked about her. Glinda felt her cheeks heat up, despite everything.

"I was halfway through my second year until I came here."

"And now you…work for the Wizard." It wasn't a question this time, but Nessa still seemed uncertain. Something didn't add up for her, Glinda knew. But she stayed silent, offering no answer. What was she supposed to say? Nessa sighed. "He asked you to come see me, didn't he?"

She hesitated. "No." Nessa raised an eyebrow, and the expression was so like Elphaba that Glinda immediately amended herself. "Not directly."

She wondered if Nessa knew that she was silently comparing her to Elphaba. If she did, she never let on. The green girl hung in the air between them, haunting, unacknowledged.

The food arrived, then, and they both thanked the man who brought it. They ate little and talked less. Nessa asked her a couple polite questions about the palace—how long had she been there, was it an adjustment from Shiz or her hometown. Glinda decided to stay away from any touchy subjects and instead asked about the Colwen Grounds.

"I wanted to study architecture," she explained when Nessa gave her a surprised look. "It's one of the oldest buildings in Munchkinland, right? Aside from a few churches."

As long as they could stay on irrelevant subjects, they were relaxed. At one point Glinda looked down and noticed Nessa's shoes, which glittered like jewels.

"Oh, those are gorgeous," she said, leaning forward. "Where did you get them? Did you have them made?"

"They were a gift from my father, for this trip."

Glinda wanted to scowl at the mention of Elphaba's father, but instead she smiled. "Emerald City fashion? Two of my friends picked apart my entire wardrobe to prepare me for coming here."

"The palace didn't give you everything you need?" Nessa asked, smirking a little.

"Oh, they did," said Glinda. "But it's nice to have something from home, you know?"

Nessa gazed down at her shoes and stayed quiet. She looked so lost all of a sudden, so uncertain. Glinda thought about how much Elphaba had worried about her sister, even back before she took the Eminency. She bit her lip, thinking hard. She wanted to help Nessa somehow, to make up for all the times she couldn't help Elphaba.

"I realize this will seem rude," she said softly, "but may I ask about your legs?"

Nessarose scowled, but it seemed more out of surprise than malice. Still, she sounded annoyed when she answered. "I was born like this."

"I know. El—" Glinda bit her lip, struggling to breathe for a moment. Nessa's face was impassive, waiting. She tried again. "Do you know if it's the muscles or the bones or the nerves?" Now Nessa looked like she was about to snap at her, so Glinda quickly raised her hands and went on. "Forgive me, it's just… This past semester, I did some pretty extensive research with healing magic."

"You can't help," Nessa said coldly. "No one has ever been able to find a solution. Besides, magic is frowned upon by the Unnamed God."

"All living beings contain magic," Glinda argued, gently. She looked down again, and suddenly she had an idea. "What if the magic wasn't directly attached to you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

Glinda moved to kneel in front of Nessa and touched one of her shoes. "May I?"

Nessarose hesitated, but then she nodded a little. Glinda squeezed the shoe. It seemed durable enough to hold up against a spell. She glanced up at Nessa, studying her. Her legs were so thin from never being used, but that didn't mean it was a muscle problem.

"Do your legs ever hurt?" she asked quietly.

Nessa shook her head. "I've never felt them."

Nerves, then. Glinda nodded a little and focused once more on the shoes. Truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. But if her magic was focused on the shoes and not Nessa, then there shouldn't be any bad side effects. Worst case scenario, whatever she tried didn't work.

She didn't think about the Wizard. She didn't think about Morrible. She didn't think about the ridiculous name the city was starting to give her— _Glinda the Good_. She only thought of Nessa before her, so steady and yet so small in the mess of politics she had been thrust into. And she thought of Elphaba, somewhere in this city, trying, as always, to do the right thing. Glinda closed her eyes and started whispering the incantation. It was almost a hum, and the air around her started thrumming with energy. Nessarose shifted and started to protest, but then shut her mouth and pressed her lips together.

When Glinda opened her eyes again, the shoes were glowing bright. They faded slowly to their normal color as she leaned back on her hands and looked up at Nessa.

Nessa's eyes were shut tight and her fingers trembled around the arms of her chair. One of her legs jerked and she gasped a little. Her brow furrowed and sweat started to bead on her forehead from the effort.

"Nessa—"

"No," she hissed. Then, softer, "No. Let me do this."

Slowly, she pushed her leg out. Her shoe met the ground and wobbled a little, but she leaned forward and put some of her weight on it. She stretched her other leg out and went through the same process. Slowly, she eased her weight away from the chair. Her legs trembled and buckled, and she fell forward. Glinda rose up on her knees to catch her, but Nessa immediately pushed her away, stumbling back to her feet.

Her eyes opened, and she stared across the room at nothing, her expression unlike anything Glinda had ever seen before. She swallowed hard, then took a small step forward. Then another. And another.

Nessarose Thropp was walking.


	27. Chapter 27

Glinda had the next day to herself. She spent the entire morning in bed, her sketchbook in her lap, drawing aimlessly. Someone had knocked on her door with breakfast, but after taking the tray she had asked, as politely as possible, to be left alone for the day. No one had disturbed her since.

For the first time since arriving in the city, she let herself enjoy the palace's luxuries. She drew a bath around noon and spent well over an hour in it, trying out different soaps and oils that filled the cabinets. When the water cooled, she drained the tub and refilled it, this time washing off the palace's products and putting on her own until she smelled like herself again.

She grew restless in the afternoon and decided to go for a walk around the palace. It was still a maze of corridors and staircases, and she knew that she hadn't even seen most of it, but she was beginning to learn her way around. She could get from her room to the dining hall where she usually met Morrible, she knew the way from the dining hall to the large, open sorcery rooms on the third floor, and she knew how to get to the entrance hall from all of those places. Not that it mattered, of course. She only needed to ask, and half the servants in the palace would come running to help her get where she needed to be.

Today, though, she didn't care about getting lost. She wandered aimlessly down the halls, and whenever she came to the end of one, she chose the way that seemed to have the least amount of people.

This was how she ended up in a narrow, richly decorated hall, pausing as she heard voices through a slightly open door.

"I came here to make peace," she heard Nessarose say. Glinda held her breath and looked around, but the corridor was empty. Carefully, she took a crept closer.

"Yet you start a revolution against me," the Wizard said. Glinda heard the soft squeak of wheels. So Nessa was in her chair. Maybe she hadn't quite mastered walking—or maybe she didn't want anyone to know that she had.

"It's not a revolution," said Nessa. "We don't want war. Just our freedom." Her voice was steady. She wasn't about to yield.

Apparently the Wizard knew that. Glinda heard him sigh, then the sound of a chair being pulled out. "Then at least we can agree on one thing," he said. "But you have to understand, Miss Thropp, I can't just let you divide Oz however you please."

"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you started stripping our rights," Nessa said coldly. It was a dangerous response, and Glinda tensed, but the Wizard merely sighed again.

"This isn't the time to bicker about what has been done, Miss Thropp. Now we must focus on what _will_ be done."

"Munchkinland _will_ separate from Oz," Nessarose said. "Whether that process is peaceful or not is up to you."

The Wizard was quiet. Glinda pressed her lips together and furrowed her brow. She didn't understand how such an average-looking man could be the leader of Oz. There was nothing special about him. He looked like he could be one of her father's friends, or a professor at Shiz. She remembered Elphie telling her once that she suspected the Wizard had no real power. Glinda believed it. Yet, somehow, he was still frightening. Even now, with all his sighs and his tired voice, he had to be up to something.

"You remember meeting Miss Upland yesterday, yes?" he said eventually. Glinda froze, blinking.

Nessa was just as confused. "Y-yes?" Her voice wavered, part of the stubborn demeanor fading.

"I believe you two have been put in similar situations. She was…ah, hesitant, at first, to leave Shiz and take this job. But my associate at the school worked with her. Eventually we found a solution that worked for everyone. Perhaps you and I can make a deal as well."

"What kind of deal?" Nessa sounded wary—rightfully so, thought Glinda. She'd been given threats, not deals. What was the Wizard plotting?

"Munchkinland is its own nation," the Wizard said. "We draw up the peace treaty and sign it now, while you're still in the city. We restore trade and travel between our countries, and everyone is happy."

There was a pause. "The Munchkinlanders who live in Oz?" Nessa asked.

"Oh, there will be some sort of process or paperwork that we'll come up with." The Wizard sounded bored. "Of course, I can't control the prejudices that already exist between our people, but legally, they will be treated as honored guests of Oz.

 _Sure,_ thought Glinda. She had a feeling those _prejudices_ would turn into Gale Force violence the moment Nessarose was out of the city. She thought, sadly, of Boq. But had there ever been hope for him?

Nessa was silent. Finally, she asked, "What's the catch? What do you want from me?"

The Wizard's words were heavy. "You help us find Elphaba."

Glinda pressed her hand to her mouth, stumbling back. Her ears were ringing, but somehow she still heard Nessarose's response. It was agreement.

She backed silently away until she was out of earshot. Then she screwed her eyes shut, turned, and ran.

* * *

Elphaba ducked into an alley, Malky at her heels. Peric hopped down from the rooftop and landed neatly beside them.

"Fae, check it out," he said, craning his neck to nod across the street. She followed his gaze to a small newspaper stand and fought to keep her face blank.

"What's the headline this time?" she asked, dully. "Good witch or bad witch?"

"Your sister," said Malky, tilting his head. Elphaba blinked at that, but he was already halfway across the street. He hopped to the top of the stand and grabbed one of the rolled up papers, then returned to them in the alley.

Elphaba took the paper from him and unrolled it. Peric shifted a little and looked around them, but they were in a dirtier part of town, and it was abandoned for the night.

"She's in the city," Elphaba whispered, scanning the paper. "They're negotiating the secession."

"Negotiating?" Peric asked, a touch of bitterness in his voice.

"Actually, yes." Elphaba turned the paper toward him and pointed at a quote, reading aloud, "'Details of the meetings are confidential, but an inside source tells us that treaties are being finalized and the separation of Munchkinland will be peaceful.'"

Malky lowered his head. "What kind of deals did the Eminent have to make to manage that?"

"I don't…" Elphaba paused. She _did_ know. What did Nessarose have that the Wizard wanted? "Me."

Peric shifted his wings. "You think she sold you out?"

"As much as she could." Elphaba sighed and rolled up the paper again. "Thankfully, that isn't much. Come on. We should get this back to the Resistance. I don't care what the Wizard promises—the minute Nessa leaves the city, all hell is going to break loose for the Munchkinlanders."

Malky flicked his tail. "We should all go back to the underground. They're going to want to hear everything you know, Fae."

Elphaba simply nodded, ignoring the surprised look Peric gave her.

* * *

Peric and Elphaba returned to the corn exchange a few hours before dawn. Malky had stayed behind, probably to get some actual information, since they'd been given nothing. Elphaba had been questioned about Nessarose, and she calmly told them everything she knew about the secession and Munchkinland's plans. Throughout it all, she stayed quiet until they asked her something. She didn't protest or interrupt like she normally would have. She didn't ask her own questions or demand explanations. She supposed she just didn't have the energy for it. Peric had watched her, that surprised look never leaving his eyes. Even now, as they slipped into the building, he continued studying her.

"Yes?" she asked, moving over to her bed and setting her things down.

"You're…quiet."

"Are you complaining?" She smirked slightly, but Peric's eyes hardened a little, unamused.

"You're never quiet."

"That's not true."

He huffed and fluttered his wings. "When you first got here I couldn't get you to _stop_ asking questions. But now, back there, you never said a word."

"Yeah, well." Elphaba rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess I've learned."

"It's not like you," Peric grumbled.

She sighed. "We have our job to do, right? I'm just trying to get it done."

Peric looked like he was going to protest, and Elphaba resisted the urge to shift around. This was heading into dangerous territory, and she _really_ didn't want to deal with it. But, luckily, she was saved, for at that moment Malky appeared in the window and started making his way down toward them.

"What's the news?" Elphaba asked. Then she turned toward Peric. "See? That was a question." He snapped his beak at her.

Malky looked between them for a moment. "We're working on getting Munchkinlanders safely out of the city."

"They're all evacuating?" Peric asked.

"Other places in Gillikin might be safe for a while," said Elphaba. "But the city won't be. They want to get out before everything is finalized."

"Yes," said Malky. "And not all of them are leaving. Safe houses are going to be set up in the lower districts. Some don't have homes back in Munchkinland, and others just don't want to leave the city."

"Could the Eminent have hired some of them?" Peric asked. "She would want eyes and ears still in the city, right?"

They both looked at Elphaba, who shrugged, realizing that she honestly had no idea what Nessa would do.

"More importantly—for us, anyway," Malky continued, "is the flood of new recruits we've gotten recently."

Elphaba smirked. "Munchkins?"

"Many of them, yes. It would appear that the Wizard is continuing to make enemies."

"No surprise there," Elphaba muttered. But then, he was also making allies, wasn't he?

She wasn't really concerned about Nessa selling her out—for she was sure that was what had happened. What information did she have that the Wizard didn't already know? None, and any trick they tried would be pointless. Maybe Nessarose knew that. But Elphaba was still offended that she had been used as a bargaining tool. Nessa had given her up in exchange for Munchkinland. Father would be so proud.

She supposed she shouldn't be so surprised. Besides, this wasn't the betrayal that hurt.

 _It doesn't matter,_ she told herself. She shook her head a little and focused once more on the conversation with Peric and Malky. As far as she was concerned, Glinda the Good was just a silly puppet. She meant little to Elphaba.

Malky was talking about their job for the next night, and Elphaba put all of her attention toward that. She had chosen this life, and Glinda had chosen hers. That's all there was to it.

* * *

Glinda sat on her bed and swung her legs back and forth so her feet hit the baseboard. Her fingers twisted together in her lap and she furrowed her brow before smoothing them out again.

It was her fault. Despite her age, Nessarose was more than capable of being the Eminent. She was doing everything she could for her people, and she was holding her own against the Wizard—until, of course, Glinda had been mentioned.

If she hadn't done what Morrible told her to, if she hadn't gone in and been kind to Nessa, would things have gone differently? Nessarose hadn't been out of her wheelchair in public, but Glinda's work had clearly impacted her. And because of Glinda, her resolve against the Wizard had wavered.

Glinda hadn't been thinking of the Wizard when she enchanted the shoes, or of Morrible, or even of Munchkinland and the secession. She had only wanted to help Nessa, the way she could never help Elphie. But in the end, she had only hurt Elphaba. And for what?

The other day, Glinda had worked up the courage to ask Morrible about the negotiations. She had been distracted during her sorcery session, and Morrible had gotten fed up enough to actually answer her questions.

"Why would the Wizard give up Munchkinland so easily?" she had asked. "Oz is still dependent on them for agriculture."

"Trade is still open between the countries," Morrible told her, hardly paying attention.

"Isn't that risky, though? If we're dependent on their exports, doesn't that give them an advantage?"

"What does it matter?" Morrible had snapped, waving her hand. "Let them have their new nation. The Wizard will conquer it again soon enough."

It was what Glinda had expected, but her heart still sank at hearing it. She sighed angrily, pushing off from her bed. She had come here to help, and look at all the good she was doing. Because of her, Elphaba could get hurt, and Nessa would be gaining nothing.

Without really thinking, Glinda walked quickly out of the room and down to the first floor. Her feet were bare against the chilly stone floor, but she ignored it.

It was late evening, meaning Nessarose would probably be in her room. The negotiations were moving along remarkably fast, and most of her time was spent in meetings with the Wizard and his politicians, but she always spent her nights alone, eating dinner in her chambers.

Glinda only paused for a moment before knocking on the door. She knew she wasn't supposed to know anything about the negotiations, but…

"Enter," Nessa said, once again in that strangely mature voice, and Glinda wondered vaguely who she had picked it up from. She slipped inside, and Nessa relaxed just slightly when she saw her. "Miss Glinda."

"You betrayed Elphie." The words weren't supposed to come out. Glinda pressed her lips together and looked down, a little ashamed.

Nessa took her time to respond. Glinda glanced up, watching the emotions flash ever so briefly across her guarded face. Finally, all she settled on was, "…Elphie?"

Glinda felt herself flush. "Elphaba. You—"

"I did what I had to. I'm here as the Eminent Thropp, not Elphaba's sister. My priority is to Munchkinland."

"You think it'll be that easy? The Wizard isn't going to let Munchkinland go, just like that. He's using you, and once you think you're secure, he'll—"

"Double cross me? Attack Munchkinland? Murder my people? Yes, I know." Nessa folded her arms over her chest and scowled. "I may be young, but I'm no fool, Miss Glinda."

"I didn't say you were, I just—"

"Maybe I sold my sister out, but she abandoned me long ago."

"She has always done what she could to protect you," Glinda said heatedly.

"Don't pretend to know our relationship." Nessa's voice was cold. "Besides, don't you think you're being hypocritical? Can you really accuse me of betraying Elphaba, when you're sitting here working for the very people she's trying to bring down?"

Glinda winced. "It's not like I had much of a choice," she said, trying to hold her ground.

"Did you? Or is that just what you tell yourself when you feel guilty?"

Glinda said nothing. It was a mistake to come here, to confront Nessa. It was all her fault, anyway. She hugged her elbows and looked at the ground, beginning to turn away. She was almost out of the room when Nessa spoke again, her tone formal, yet far softer than before.

"I don't expect I'll see you again before I leave—at least, not where we can speak freely—so I'll thank you now, once again, for the shoes. And…" Nessa paused, waiting for Glinda to look up before she went on. "I wouldn't worry too much about my sister. I don't know enough to give the Wizard much information, and she'll know better than to trust anything I'm involved in. Of all the people in this palace, we're not the ones that can hurt her."

There was an accusation there, but Glinda chose to ignore it. She nodded and left, heading straight for her chambers, where she stayed for the rest of the night.

* * *

Nessarose was right; they didn't see each other again until a few days later, when the same crowd that had welcomed Nessa gathered to send her off. It was less formal this time, and most of them just shook hands with the young Eminent and wished her well. Glinda took a couple small steps away from Morrible when Nessa approached her. She was in the chair, but the jeweled shoes glittered on her feet.

Nessa held her hand out to Glinda, who took it, then bent forward to kiss her lightly, formally, on the cheek.

"Good luck, Nessa," she whispered, quiet enough that only the two of them heard. "You'll need it."

Nessarose studied her for a long moment as she straightened. Finally, she squeezed Glinda's hand and let go, murmuring, "You, too."

The Wizard came by and led Nessarose out the front door. Most of the farewell party dispersed, but Glinda slipped outside to watch the carriages leave.

A handful of Munchkins were moving about, loading bags and checking the horses. Nessa wheeled herself next to the cab, then turned as the Wizard said something and shook her hand one last time.

Two Munchkins approached Nessa, probably to help lift her into the carriage, but she waved them off. She wheeled back a little, gave the Wizard one last look, then pushed herself to her feet.

The Wizard nearly fell back a step, but Nessarose turned away from him and climbed into the carriage. The Munchkins stood dumbfounded for a moment, then quickly packed up her chair and hopped in themselves. The driver clicked his reins, and then they were off.

Glinda ducked back inside before the Wizard could completely shake off the shock. Two Gale Force officers were still in the entrance hall, chatting casually, and they lit up when they saw her. Glinda curtsied and giggled and made small talk for a moment before excusing herself.

Back at her room, she toed off her shoes and flopped onto the bed, grinning up at the ceiling. She still felt confused, overwhelmed, guilty, but Nessarose's display—the look of complete shock on the Wizard's face—almost made it worth it.

* * *

After Nessa left, Glinda was surprised to find herself settling back into a routine. At the beginning of each week, she would have breakfast with Morrible, who would go over her schedule for the upcoming days. Most days were spent training, usually with Morrible. Some days, she went out to the city, meeting people and waving at crowds. Sometimes, they would dress her up in glittering ball gowns with giant skirts and she would go put on her brightest smile as she shook the hands of a dozen bankers after setting up a charity fund. She hated those times, but other times, when she put on something simpler and went to visit an orphanage, or bring firewood or food to a shelter—those times, she actually felt like she was doing good.

"Miss Glinda, would you like to pay attention?"

Glinda resisted the urge to say no and looked up at Morrible, who studied her with indifference.

"Would you like to tell me why you're so distracted today?"

"I'm tired," Glinda mumbled.

"Yes, you're always tired. That's what I'm trying to fix."

"By fighting me?" They had been dueling all morning, throwing spells back and forth until someone—always Glinda—messed up and was knocked back.

"By making you stronger," said Morrible. "Fighting you is just a perk. Shall we?"

Glinda scowled, but she bent her knees a little and held her hands up, summoning her fire in one palm. The flames were darker again—a darker shade than ever, in fact—but she didn't take the time to notice. Morrible waved her arm and sent a wave of energy at her, and Glinda jumped to the side, throwing the flames toward her.

They went back and forth, Glinda breathing hard and Morrible eerily calm—bored, almost. Morrible sent a bout of ice toward her, and Glinda melted it before it could hit her. Glinda thrust her arms out and sent a burst of wind, but Morrible flicked her wrist and it disappeared. On and on it went, until Morrible curled her fingers, summoning a strange, crackling sound, and threw a stream of lightning at Glinda.

She yelped and rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. Anger pulsed through Glinda as she felt her hair stand on end. A lightning spell? She had never learned a lightning spell, never learned to counter it. Morrible was pushing her, trying to knock her down, trying to break her. With a cry, Glinda summoned her fire and thrust both arms out.

The flames poured toward Morrible, but she raised her hands and pushed back. The spell changed direction, flying at Glinda instead, and she was forced back, landing hard against the wall.

Glinda slumped, the fire biting at her arms before flickering out. Her head throbbed and her skin burned, and across the room Morrible stood watching her, expressionless. Glinda tried to sit up and had to bite back a whimper. Every session seemed to go like this. Morrible pushed and Glinda got pummeled, and unlike at Shiz, at the end of it all, there was nowhere to run to. Morrible had complete control of her, every hour of every day, and Glinda could do nothing but take it.

Or, she could fight back.

Morrible walked over and grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly to her feet. "Again," she said, all too calmly, and walked back to her place.

Glinda took a deep breath and straightened her dress. There was nowhere to run, but there was also no one else to get hurt.

When Morrible sent the first spell at her, she was almost too slow to block it. But she did, and she sent a blast of ice in return. This time around, she found a focus that hadn't been there before. She was exhausted, she was a little slow, but she was steady.

Glinda was growing stronger. That much was clear from their sessions. She could even see it in Morrible's gaze, every once in a while. A month ago, she would have been unconscious by now. Even a year ago, when her magic was at its best, she hadn't had this kind of endurance. They'd been at it for hours, and she was still standing, still countering Morrible's spells and throwing them back.

She lasted a few minutes before Morrible hit her with a blast of ice, but this time, Glinda managed to stay on her feet. She shivered, feeling the cold flood through her before fading again. Morrible lowered her arms.

"You are improving, Miss Glinda. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It takes a lot of talent to pull off the enchantment you did the other day."

Glinda tensed. "I…"

"You were sentimental, perhaps. Or you did your job too well." Morrible shrugged. "Either way, it's no matter now. So the brat can walk. That changes nothing."

Glinda winced, but Morrible didn't seem to notice. She went on, "Anyway, my point is, you are displaying a focus I haven't seen from you in a year—maybe ever. It seems that getting away from your life at Shiz has done you well."

She wanted to protest—Oz, she wanted to protest—but Morrible turned and left, barely looking over her shoulder to say, "We're done for the day," and it was all Glinda could do to stay on her feet.

* * *

Best of all were the days when Glinda had time to herself.

Sometimes she took walks around the palace, or she bundled up and walked around the grounds—though they wouldn't let her out without an escort. Other times, though, she simply stayed in her room.

This time, late one evening, she was sprawled across the bed on her stomach, her sketchbook in front of her. It was the only thing that kept her sane sometimes. If she shut the door and focused on her work, then she could almost pretend she was back at Shiz, sprawled across Elphaba's bed, or the floor of the lounge in the boys' library.

She was drawing a chapel. The Emerald City wasn't as dazzling as Glinda had once imagined it to be, but one thing that did catch her eye was the architecture. Most of the religious buildings were centuries old, and had rarely been renovated.

A knock on the door surprised her, and a servant peeked inside. "Your Goodness?"

" _If you don't have a soul, then tell me, what do I have that you don't?"_

" _Your goodness."_

Glinda blinked away the memory and tried not to wince at the words. The title had started in the city, but it was quickly spreading among the palace staff. She was still getting used to it. Every time someone said the words, she was reminded of that conversation back in her dorm room at Shiz, when she was trying to convince Elphaba that she did indeed have a soul. _I'm not as good a person as you think I am. But more importantly, you are not nearly as wicked as anyone—including yourself—believes you are._

It was eerie, how the words still rang true.

"Your Goodness?" the servant girl asked again. "You haven't eaten all day. We were getting worried." Her eyes swept over Glinda then, taking her in—stretched lazily across the bed, her hair tied back into a messy knot, no makeup or jewelry, wearing her old, worn sweater. "I-I apologize," she stammered. "I can come back later."

"No, no, it's fine. Please, come in." Glinda pushed herself up and sat with her legs crossed. "I'm sorry. I meant to come down for dinner, but I lost track of time."

The servant entered, carrying a tray to her bedside table. Glinda smiled at her, but she was distracted, her eyes darting back down to her sketchbook.

"Did you draw those?" the girl asked. She immediately blushed as Glinda looked up. "I mean—I'm sorry, I shouldn't be looking. I'll—"

Glinda cut her off with a smile. "It's okay, really." She turned the page toward her. "I've been inspired by some of the Unionist chapels in the middle districts. What do you think?"

"It's gorgeous," said the girl. Glinda studied her for a moment. They couldn't have been more than a couple years apart.

"What's your name?"

"Ambree, Your Goodness."

"Well, Ambree, that's very sweet of you. But if I wasn't Glinda the Good? What would you think, then?"

Ambree glanced up at her with a soft smile, then looked back down at the drawing. "It's clearly inspired by the city's chapels, and it's gorgeous, but I think it could be improved."

"Oh?"

"Not the drawing itself," she said quickly. "But the chapels." She pointed at the sketch of the sanctuary. "There are so many statues and icons on the main floor, it's so crowded, and people are afraid to move for fear they'll break something. Especially the elderly, or someone with children. And the balconies have the greatest view, but to get to them you have to go further into the chapel, and…"

"And the poor or non-Gillikinese aren't usually allowed past the sanctuary," Glinda said. She nodded a little and took her eraser to part of the floor plan. "You're right. This could be more open. Wider entrances, maybe. And larger windows, to let in the light. They call them sanctuaries but design them like tombs." She turned the page and sketched out a quick outline, jotting some notes down beside it. "And you're absolutely correct, it's designed for separation. It's so…elitist. Maybe if…" She drew a few arrows, moving things around, and jotted down more notes.

Ambree watched her, slowly sinking onto the bed. "You have quite the talent," she said.

Glinda smiled, hoping it didn't look as sad as she thought it might. "I considered studying architecture, for a while," she said quietly.

Ambree tapped the page lightly. "The city would have been in better hands, had you designed it," she said. Glinda blushed a little. Ambree looked down at herself and quickly stood. "I should go. I'm still needed in the kitchens. I—I should—"

She curtsied a little, but Glinda caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, calming her. "Thank you, Ambree."

Ambree smiled, small but genuine, then hurried out of the room. Glinda watched her go for a moment before turning back to the drawing.

"If you set the altar further back into the wall," she mumbled to herself, pressing her pencil to the paper, "And put in benches along the sides, make it more accessible…"


	28. Chapter 28

Peric nudged Elphaba's leg with his wing.

"Fae," he said, nodding across the room. "I think you have an admirer."

Elphaba snorted but looked. A Munchkin family was crowded near the wall, one of many, and huddled between her parents' legs was a little girl, staring at Elphaba with her fingers in her mouth.

Elphaba ignored the girl and turned back to gaze through the door and across the street. "This block is clear of soldiers," she said. "Our work is done. Should we go?"

Peric fluttered a bit and looked back into the building. It was an abandoned warehouse, made of a single, large room, and through the course of the night it had been turned into the newest safe house for the Munchkinlanders.

"How many more do we have left?" he asked.

"Three," said Malky, appearing beside him. Elphaba resisted the urge to groan. This was their second house of the night, and they'd already been working for hours.

"Kitty!"

Malky hissed a little, and they all turned to see the little Munchkin girl running up to them. Elphaba knelt in front of Malky, sparing him. The girl ran up to her without hesitation. Behind her, her parents cried out and tried to make it through the crowd to reach her, but the little girl simply stared up at Elphaba, her fingers still hanging in her open mouth.

"Are you really a witch?" she asked. She lifted her free hand, reaching for Elphaba's hat, but the green girl jerked back a little.

"Do I look like one?" she asked, her voice just a touch too harsh.

The girl didn't seem to notice. She nodded seriously, lowering her hand again. "Papa said if you're really green, that means you're from Munchkinland. He said you were the Em-emem—"

Elphaba couldn't help it. She tipped her hat back just enough for the girl to see her face. The girl gasped, grinning and clapping her hands together, and Elphaba smiled back before tugging her hat down again. "I am from Munchkinland," she said. "But you have to keep it a secret."

"Do you have to go into hiding, too?" The little girl's voice turned sad. Before Elphaba could respond, her parents ran up, all but dragging their daughter away from Elphaba. She ignored their panicked stares and stood, turning back to the others.

"It's going to be a long night," she said quietly. "Let's go."

It _was_ a long night. Setting up safe houses turned out to be long, exhausting, somewhat tedious work. They weren't alone, either. They would arrive at a new location and help take out all the soldiers in the area. Then, without any signal that Elphaba could see, more agents would arrive, shuffling in Munchkin refugees with their ragged clothes and tiny bags. She barely saw the other Resistance members—everyone worked in silence. They would stay to make sure the block stayed clear, then they would move on, and the whole process started all over again.

The weeks since the secession were like this. Almost all of their attention was fixed on helping the Munchkinlanders in the city. It was exhausting, and Elphaba began sleeping normally again simply because she was passing out in her bed at the end of each night.

They were at their last safe house of the night, making one final sweep of the block, when Elphaba saw it. Her heart soared as she glimpsed the photo plastered over a newspaper stand across the street, but she quickly pushed the feeling away.

The Resistance had been keeping a casual eye on Glinda the Good, but there wasn't really a problem with her, other than the fact that she worked for the Wizard. She was the perfect public figure: serving the community, helping citizens, condoning violence. _The perfect image_ , Elphaba thought. _Now who does that remind you of?_

The papers across the street had pictures of Glinda shaking the hands of some bankers, her smile bright. She looked gorgeous, despite that ridiculous dress, but Elphaba shook her head and turned away. If she looked closely enough, maybe she would see the weariness at the corner of Glinda's eyes, or the way her lips were stretched just a little too tight. But she didn't look close enough, and all she saw was Glinda the Good, who lied to her about studying sorcery, who turned away when Elphaba said she loved her, who never mentioned anything about an apprenticeship, and who was now working for the Wizard himself.

"Fae?"

Elphaba turned and walked a few feet away from the stand as Peric approached her. "Are we ready?" she asked.

Peric twisted a little to stare behind her, but if he saw the newspapers, he didn't say anything. "Yeah. Let's get out of here. I'm exhausted."

"Right behind you," said Malky, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

"How do you _do_ that?" Elphaba asked, exasperated. "You have _white fur._ "

Malky simply chuckled and started down the street. "Years of practice," he called, flicking his tail a little. Elphaba and Peric rolled their eyes at each other, then followed him, slipping silently through the Emerald City.

* * *

"Again," Morrible said shortly. Glinda lowered her head, breathing hard, then pushed herself to her feet.

Her arms shook as she raised them in front of her. Morrible was focusing on raw strength today. She'd had some of the soldiers bring up a load of stones to their practice room and had then spent the morning throwing them at Glinda, sometimes two or three or four at a time. They were ridiculously heavy, and Glinda had lost count of the number of times she had been thrown back by the force of them. But every time, Morrible would say _again_ , and she would get back up and keep trying.

Morrible was right. Glinda had found a focus she never had before. That, combined with the endless hours of training, had given her a newfound strength. Never before had she even imagined being able to do some of the things Morrible had her do. Yet, here she was, and when Morrible threw the next stone at her, she summoned her magic and caught it before throwing it back, just as hard.

She learned to sharpen weapons, duplicate ammo, harden regular clothes into armor, poison food or drink with just a pass of her hand. She could cast charms to muffle a door or amplify a voice, barricade a room or blast out of it, cut someone free or chain them to a wall just by looking at them. She could turn an entire room to ice, though she had passed out the only time she managed it. It was starting to scare her. Once, on one of her aimless walks around the palace, she had stumbled upon a group of Gale Force soldiers training. In the moments before they noticed her and rushed to greet her, she had watched their exercises, realizing that she could probably do the same exact thing with magic. What was Morrible turning her into?

She was distracted, and Morrible's next stone came flying at her too fast. Glinda threw her hands up, stopping it just before it hit her, but stumbling back with the force of the spell. She hit the ground hard, groaning as pain throbbed through her tailbone.

" _Focus,_ Miss Glinda."

Glinda took a breath and climbed back to her feet. She let herself gaze around the room for a moment. Being in here nearly every day for weeks now, the room had grown familiar. The back wall held three tall, thin windows, which allowed light to flood in. The ceiling arched high above their heads. Large, elegantly carved pillars lined the two side walls, stretching from the floor to ceiling for style rather than support. Glinda liked this room. It was grand, yet simple.

What she didn't like was the woman standing in front of her. "Again," said Morrible, and Glinda sighed. Again, again, again, until she was doubled over, gasping for breath, trembling from exhaustion, all the energy drained out of her. And after that, do it again.

"I don't understand," Glinda panted. "You have me here. I'm doing what you and the Wizard want. What's the point of continuing to teach me?"

Morrible raised her eyebrows. "I'm impressed, Miss Glinda. That was actually a decent question."

The answer irritated Glinda, but she was too exhausted to do much about it. Morrible lowered her hand, and the stone she had been ready to throw fell back to the ground.

"You see, my dear, you are meant for greater things. Oh, the smiles and the photographs are good and fun for now, but you could do more. Together, with our abilities, _we_ could do more."

"What do you mean?" Glinda asked, ignoring the dread that was gathering in her chest. "What is _more_?"

"How should I know?" Morrible shrugged. "But I assure you, your job does not end when the Witch does. Oz is still unstable. Think of Munchkinland. Think of who will be the next to revolt. My guess is the Vinkus, what do you think?"

"So…what? You're training me to be…"

"To be whatever we need you to be," said Morrible. "You work for the Wizard now. That is the job you took. And whatever he wants, you will do. Now." She lifted the stone once more. "Do it again."

She wanted to argue, but Morrible didn't wait for her. She threw the stone, and Glinda had no choice but to focus once more on her magic, her arms quivering under the weight and the effort of the spells. And when she was knocked back, she pushed herself back up and did it again.

And again, and again, and again.

* * *

When Morrible finally dismissed her that afternoon, Glinda all but stumbled back to her chambers. All of her walks had paid off, and she knew her way around most of the palace. The only tricky part was getting to and from places without the staff seeing her and hovering around her, calling her _Your Goodness_ , asking if she wanted this or that.

She was exhausted when she got to her room, but it quickly disappeared when she noticed the envelope on her desk. Curious, she hurried over. Her name was written on the front, in Fiyero's handwriting.

She tore the envelope open and sank into the chair at her desk.

 _Glinda,_

 _Sorry it took so long to write, but Crope and Tibbett apparently have a couple connections, and we wanted a way to get to you without Morrible's interference._

Glinda smiled a little. She could practically hear Fiyero as she read his writing. She felt more like herself than she had in weeks.

 _It's starting to get a little warmer around here. People are starting to hang out by the lake again. We've thought about having a picnic a couple of times, but it's still too cold without your jar of fire. Besides, we don't think it would be the same._

 _Boq left a few weeks ago. He was pretty torn up—we all are—but otherwise unharmed. We miss him, and we're constantly writing back and forth. He says his parents' farm is doing better. He says they're starting to put in some of his ideas, a lot of which he got from the book you gave him. He told us Munchkinland is in kind of a limbo right now. It seems like things are going okay, but no one is really sure whether the future will build it up or send it all crashing down._

 _Sorry. I'm trying to stay lighthearted. But you know how it is._

Glinda's smile turned sad and she nodded a little.

 _Shiz is boring now, with just the three of us. Sometimes I feel like I'm third-wheeling with Crope and Tibbett, but if I ever complain they just start flirting with me. Anyway, it's different without Morrible. The interim headmistress is quiet, and she seems like a bit of a pushover. Crope and Tibbett are investigating the matter. Nikidik doesn't seem to care about anything. Avaric and Pfannee have laid off, too, though that might be because I punched Avaric in the nose a few weeks ago. I don't think you need me to tell you he had it coming. Milla and Shenshen have stopped hanging out with them as well. Everything is just…quiet._

 _We go to town a lot. I finally let Crope and Tibbett buy me that gold eyeliner, and it's been lost in the back of one of my desk drawers ever since, much to their disappointment. Maybe I'll save it for a rainy day, to cheer them up if they're ever feeling particularly down._

 _Anyway. Crope and Tibbett say they hope you're escaping once in a while to enjoy the city. We all hope you blast Morrible with some fire every now and then. We've been reading some of the papers. You seem…busy._

Glinda winced a little. She could hear the hesitation in his voice, feel the doubt, the judgment.

 _I know it's a crazy world, and somehow you and Elphie got sucked into the center of it. Keep your head up. We miss you, tons._

Her shoulders relaxed. Then again, maybe there was no judgment.

 _All our love,_

 _Fiyero_

 _PS – Crope says your outfits are gorgeous._

Glinda carefully placed the letter at the top of her desk and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. She brushed at her eyes for a moment, then picked up a pen and started writing.

 _Fiyero,_

 _Is it getting warmer? So much of my time is spent inside, I barely notice anymore. Whenever I leave the palace, I'm surrounded by so many people I don't think it's possible for the cold to reach me. Once in a while, if I'm lucky, they let me walk around the grounds—with an escort, of course. It amuses me, sometimes. You should see all the exercises Morrible has me do. These days, I think I could be the one protecting the soldiers._

 _Our dear ex-headmistress is as horrible as ever, but she told me once she's never returning to Shiz, so there's some good news for you._

 _Somehow, I've fallen into a routine here. I didn't think I'd ever get used to this place, but here I am. The Emerald City is breathtaking. The palace is extravagant, bustling with officials and servants and everything you could ever imagine. A year ago, I'd be delighted. Now, I think I'm just tired. But I go on. I don't think there's anything else I can do. I'm helping people here, I really think I am. I just don't know how to help the one person who really matters._

 _Give Boq my best. Tell him he's always in my thoughts. I'd write to him, but I doubt a letter to or from Munchkinland would ever make it through the palace. Hug Crope and Tibbett for me. Tell them to go easy on the new headmistress…but they have my full support if they choose to torment Nikidik._

 _Love and miss you all,_

 _Glinda_

Her excitement at the letter had faded, and she felt weary again. She put her pen down and sat back.

 _I'm helping people here… I just don't know how to help the one person who really matters._

When she had taken Morrible's offer, she had convinced herself it was to help Elphaba. There was nothing she could do while at Shiz, and maybe here, things would be different. But was that all it was? Convincing herself? She had betrayed Elphaba by coming here. Whatever her intentions, that part remained true. She had lied to her, hidden things from her, and then she had shown up in the city, working for the very people that Elphaba fought against.

And from all the times she was in the paper, Elphaba had to know.

Was it really worth it? The people loved her, she was helping the city, but what about Elphaba? Had she really done the right thing by coming here, or was Glinda just a fraud—pretending to do good, when really, she was only hurting the one person she cared about.

"Your Goodness?" Glinda jumped, but she recognized the girl who had knocked on her door. "Am I interrupting?"

"Ambree. No, no, come in. You startled me, that's all."

The servant girl stepped into the room. "Madame Morrible sent me. She wanted you to know that you're expected at breakfast tomorrow morning, before your trip to the shelter."

Glinda closed her eyes and nodded. She was going to one of the lower districts tomorrow and serving lunch at a shelter. She was helping people. She was doing good. That's what mattered.

Right?

"Thank you," she said. She heard Ambree turn to leave, but then got an idea. "Ambree, wait."

"Yes, Your Goodness?"

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor." Glinda took the letter from her desk and folded, then pulled out an envelope and stuck it in. She sealed it and turned back toward Ambree. "A friend of mine from Shiz wrote me, and I want to send a letter back to him. It's useless stuff, but we're old friends. I'd like our conversation to remain ours."

Ambree smiled a little. "That's understandable. I'll make sure it gets sent without any interference."

"Thank you, Ambree."

"Of course, Your Goodness."

"Glinda, please."

Ambree tilted her head a little. "Miss Glinda." She gave a tiny curtsy and took the letter before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

"Close enough," Glinda sighed. She pushed herself up from her desk and moved just far enough to fall onto the bed. Her exhaustion was back, heavier than ever, and even though it was barely evening, she curled up and pulled the covers around herself, fully intending on sleeping until morning.

* * *

Glinda woke early the next morning and stayed in bed, waiting for the knock that meant a handful of lady servants had arrived to prepare her for the day. She knew the routine well. They would help her dress and do her hair and make sure she was glowing and ready to meet the crowds of the Emerald City. It wasn't something she needed help with, but the choruses of _Your Goodness_ reminded her that she never needed to lift a finger in this palace.

Until, of course, she was with Morrible. But, seeing as they would be surrounded by other people for the entire day, Madame Morrible was on her best behavior, allowing Glinda to be the same.

It was mid-morning when their carriage left the palace. This was another routine Glinda had grown accustomed to. They took the same carriage every time, and as they rode through the streets, people recognized it and called out her name. Glinda took a breath and leaned forward to smile and wave out the window, ignoring the look on Morrible's face every time she sat back again.

When they moved out of the upper districts, the Gale Force officers that were accompanying them moved closer. They trotted along right next to the carriage, making it harder to see the people lining up on the sides of the street. For a moment, Glinda was relieved.

"Mama, is that Glinda? Glinda the Good?"

"Yes, sweetie, that's her carriage."

Glinda peered out again and caught a glimpse of a little boy in dirty clothes beaming up at her. Her relief turned to guilt, and she put on her best smile and looked at the soldier outside her window.

She didn't even have to say anything. He caught her eye and blushed, pulling on the reins of his horse and backing up enough for her to see.

"Excuse me, Your Goodness," he mumbled, still blushing furiously.

"Oh, it's no trouble," she said sweetly. She looked back at the boy, who was half-running, half-skipping along the street to keep up with the carriage. She gave him a little wave, and he stopped, grinning wide and waving hard back at her.

The shelter they arrived at was small and run-down. Glinda let one of the Gale Force officers take her hand and help her out of the carriage, smiling brightly at him as she hopped down. He helped Morrible down, too, though he was far less enthusiastic about it.

Morrible led her inside and introduced her to the managers. All of the workers tripped over themselves to get a look at Glinda, and she gave them all a little wave before asking where she was needed. The owner seemed a little surprised, but she eventually convinced him to give her a job.

It was coming on noon, and people were pouring into the shelter, shuffling along with their ragged clothes and weary expressions. Glinda could tell immediately that they were under-staffed. She walked over to one of the Gale Force officers and touched his elbow.

"It's getting kind of crazy in here," she said. "You want to come help me?"

He chuckled a little. "Your Goodness, I'm here to protect you, not serve food to these people." He said _people_ with a certain distaste, and the smile on Glinda's face became forced.

"It's crowded," she said nervously, though she felt perfectly safe. "I'd be more comfortable if someone was next to me."

He didn't even try to deny her. Glinda led him over to her spot in the serving line, and after a few more minutes, she got him to pick up his own ladle and help dish out soup to the crowds that passed in front of them.

Most of the people recognized her, and many lit up when they saw her. She smiled at them, let them clasp her hands and thank her and call her _Your Goodness_. When it was these people, when she was giving directly back to them, she didn't mind as much.

When the crowds had settled down again, a trio of little girls ran up to her. The Gale Force officer beside her tensed, but Glinda ignored him and knelt in front of the girls.

"Miss Glinda the Good, do you really live in the palace?"

"Do you have a pet horse?"

"Can you really do magic?"

"Oh, please do magic! Please?"

Glinda smiled and held up her hand, summoning a ball of light. It was the same pale pink as her flames, but completely harmless. The girls gasped and clapped, and a few more kids came running up, asking for more magic tricks.

Glinda ended up sitting at a table with them, levitating spoons and making shapes out of the steam that came from soup bowls. Parents and grandparents eventually came up, either to get their children and leave the shelter, or to stay and watch Glinda the Good.

"I want to thank you for all the good you do for this city," an older woman said to her. Glinda smiled and thanked her, but she felt a little hollow. All day long—just like with every trip like this—she hadn't seen a single Animal. She hadn't seen any Munchkins since her first weeks in the city, either. Maybe she was doing good, but not for everyone.

"Miss Glinda," a man said, tentatively, "What about the Witch?"

For a moment, Glinda couldn't breathe. She couldn't think of anything to say. She was struggling just to keep a calm expression.

"What's she done now?" someone asked. Another man pulled a newspaper out of his bag and set it on the table. Elphaba's picture was on the front, but Glinda couldn't bring herself to read the headline.

"She's terrorizing the city," a woman said. "What can we do to protect ourselves?"

Glinda swallowed. She knew they wanted a response, but the only thing she wanted to do was tell them how stupid they were. Elphaba would never hurt anyone. She's not the one they needed to protect themselves from.

For perhaps the first time in her life, Morrible came to Glinda's rescue. "The Wizard is doing all he can to fight the Wicked Witch." Her voice was confident, and everyone turned to watch her instead of Glinda. "Miss Glinda is a part of those efforts, of course, but we cannot speak openly of them. I'm sure you all understand."

The crowd nodded seriously and dissolved into separate discussions, swapping their own theories and stories about Elphaba. Glinda excused herself and left the table. She hadn't gone far when Morrible caught up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"That was pathetic, Miss Glinda."

"What do you expect from me?" she asked in a whisper, looking down at her shoes.

"A little composure would be nice," Morrible hissed. She dug her fingers into Glinda's shoulder, then let her go and walked away.

Glinda did have composure. It was the only thing that kept her from telling all those people off. She took a deep breath and walked back to the counter of food to help the workers clean up. She stayed quiet, listening to their stories as they worked. About half an hour later, everything was put away and the shelter was mostly empty. Morrible shook the managers' hands and beckoned to Glinda.

On their way out, Glinda caught a glimpse of the newspaper still on the table. She glanced around, making sure no one was looking, then snatched it and rolled it up, sticking it into the sleeve of her coat.

* * *

When they arrived back at the palace, Glinda found herself alone with Morrible.

"Madame," she said quietly. "Something's been bothering me."

Morrible turned to face her, raising her eyebrows. Glinda hesitated, then pulled the newspaper out of her sleeve. Morrible took it from her.

"How many times have I told you," said Morrible. "Your devotion to her is going to get you in trouble."

Glinda stared at the ground between them. "Just…tell me. If you find her, what will you do to her?"

"Why, Miss Glinda. Are you thinking of turning her in?"

"Never," Glinda spat. "Not even if I knew where she was."

"How noble of you," Morrible said, rolling her eyes a bit. "But, since you're so curious. _When_ Miss Elphaba is caught, she will be thrown in prison, where she will give us every piece of information she has about her little rebel friends."

Glinda let out a short laugh, despite it all. "That's a bit optimistic of you, don't you think?"

"I never said the information would come easily. Or painlessly," Morrible said. "Oh, don't look so horrified.

Glinda shook her head. "I won't let you hurt her," she whispered. Morrible scoffed.

"Are you going to stop us? You _work_ for us, Glinda. You do what we tell you to."

"I won't let you hurt her," Glinda said again. She dug her nails into her palms, trying to stop the tears that were blurring her eyes.

"And what exactly are you going to do about it? How do you know she would even want your help? You're working for the people she's fighting. You betrayed her."

Glinda shook her head again, faster. She took this job to protect Elphaba. She only did it to help her. Morrible didn't know that, but she did.

And yet, the lines were starting to blur. The city loved her, looked up to her…expected her to hate Elphaba. That man today, at the shelter, he wanted her to tear Elphaba down. That was her job. That was why the Wizard had brought her here, created this image for her.

"No," Glinda breathed. A door opened nearby, and a couple dozen servants with food trays poured out, hurrying past them to get to the rest of the castle. Morrible stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Glinda, turning away from the servants and trapping her in place, and Glinda found herself shaking too hard to pull away.

"Really, my dear, I don't know what you expected," she said into Glinda's ear. "I remember the girl who first arrived at Shiz. Isn't this what she wanted? Pretty things, popularity, a chance to become a great sorceress?"

"No," Glinda repeated, leaning away.

" _You_ stayed at Shiz instead of going with her. _You_ continued to study sorcery. _You_ agreed to come here and work for the Wizard." Morrible's words were a hiss, sending shivers down Glinda's spine and making her skin crawl. "When you did all that, isn't this what you wanted?"

Glinda pulled free and stared up at her, horrified. Horrified at what could happen to Elphie, horrified at everything Morrible had done and would do. Glinda tore her eyes away and hurried off. The hall was empty again, and her heels clipped against the stone floor, the sound bouncing off the walls before hitting her. She clapped her hands over her ears, whimpering.

Because most of all, she was horrified that Morrible may be right.


	29. Chapter 29

Elphaba and Peric were on the second floor when Malky arrived at the corn exchange. They sat beneath the elephant skull. Elphaba gazed quietly at the various knick knacks she had put up there: the Owl feather, her mother's bottle, the few crumbled pages that remained from Dillamond's research. Peric was beside her, scratching patterns into the dirt on the floor. A companionable quiet stretched between them.

Malky padded silently over to them. "You know, you never told me what the skull was for."

Peric shuffled his wings and looked up. "It was here when we found this place."

"Elephants have an innate magic ability," Elphaba said, glancing up at the skull. "I'm guessing a sorcerer of some sort put it up years ago. We just never took it down."

"It's odd," said Malky.

"It fits," said Peric. All three of them nodded at that. Elphaba took her eyes off the skull and turned toward Malky.

"What are we doing tonight?"

"Teamwork," he said dryly.

"We're working with other agents again?" Peric asked. "More safe houses?"

"Politicians' houses, actually."

Elphaba raised her eyes and leaned forward. Malky sat down and curled his tail around his front paws.

"There's some sort of meeting, or a courier—something that we need to intercept. I don't know all the details. It's in one of the richer neighborhoods, which means the streets are heavily guarded."

"So we're clearing the block for them," said Elphaba.

"Not quite. Someone else is doing that. _Our_ job is to stand guard and keep them clear."

"How many people are on this?" Peric asked. Malky gave him a warning look.

"Enough. You know how this works."

Elphaba nodded. They did know. They had their part, and everyone else had theirs. They didn't need to know everyone else's missions, as long as they got theirs done.

"When?" she asked.

"That's the tricky part," said Malky. "We need to be in place by sundown."

Peric clicked his beak. "Why?"

"Because we don't know when the meeting will take place. We have to be ready."

"Are you saying there's a chance we'll be out there all night?" Peric asked. Malky just stood up and stretched.

"I suggest you get ready for a long night, Master Peric."

He wandered off, hopping down to the main floor. Peric turned to stare at Elphaba, who shrugged.

"Don't look at me, it's not my idea."

" _All night?_ And we don't even have the fun job."

Elphaba snorted and pushed herself to her feet. Peric hopped after her.

" _All night_."

"You'll be fine."

"And we're leaving before dark. What if we're seen?"

"We won't be seen."

"We're not exactly inconspicuous, Fae."

"So I'll ditch the hat for the night," Elphaba said, smirking. "Come on."

* * *

As it turned out, she did ditch the hat. And the broom. Elphaba pulled her hood down low over her face, feeling strangely bare without the two.

It was necessary, she told herself as they passed a newspaper stand with her picture all over it. Without the dark to cover her, she needed to look like any other resident of the slums.

Malky walked along the rooftops, his stare blank, subtly leading the way. Peric had the hardest time out of all of them, but he managed to mostly disappear behind Elphaba's cloak whenever someone looked their way.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the upper districts. The low light got in her eyes, but she supposed that meant it would hurt everyone else's vision, too, so she didn't complain.

Malky led them to a little alleyway. The buildings on either side were tall enough that it was full of shadows, and Peric sighed in relief, hopping away from Elphaba's legs.

"What now?" she asked, leaning against one of the walls. Malky looked out into the street, maybe for some sort of signal, but Elphaba saw nothing.

"Now," he said, still looking away, "we wait."

* * *

Glinda sat stiffly in the carriage. Her legs were crossed at the ankle, her hands were folded delicately in her lap, and her back was straight. Next to her, the Wizard and Morrible were talking quietly. The Wizard was animated, though Glinda got the feeling it was more for her benefit than anything else. Morrible sounded bored, but she nodded along to whatever the Wizard was saying. Glinda paid little attention to either of them.

The house they arrived at was more of a mansion than anything. Glinda eyed the double porch on the front and the faded red window shutters. It must have been built generations ago. It would have been cute, had it not belonged to some sleazy politician.

In all honesty, she didn't know why she was there. The Wizard was meeting with this man for some sort of business, but Glinda didn't see how that involved her. Still, Morrible nudged her out of the carriage and up the porch steps.

"Your Ozness," a man said, stepping onto the porch to greet them. "It's an honor, as always."

"Hello, Frederick, it's nice to see you well," said the Wizard. "I believe you've met Madame Morrible before. And may I introduce our lovely Glinda."

The man grabbed her hand and bowed low to kiss it. "Your Goodness. It's a pleasure."

Glinda didn't like the way her leered up at her, but Morrible's hand was on her shoulder, so she tilted her chin up a little and said, as pleasantly as she could manage, "Likewise."

"Shall we?" said the Wizard, gesturing toward the door.

Frederick led them inside, where Glinda was startled to see half a dozen Gale Force officers. Most of them smiled and tipped their hats at her, and she gave them what she hoped was a convincing smile back. The Wizard and Frederick went immediately into a side room, and the soldiers followed.

Morrible squeezed Glinda's shoulder hard before letting go. "Stay out here, and behave yourself," she said as if speaking to a child. Glinda's cheeks burned, but she stayed silent as Morrible swept into the side room and shut the door behind her.

Glinda stood in the middle of the room and looked around. At least the house was pretty, but why was she here? She knew that she would never know what was happening in that meeting, so why did they need her?

She made a face, remembering Frederick's eyes grazing over her. She shook her head and walked slowly around the room. It was full of tapestries and paintings and little figurines lined up on polished shelves. They were clearly just a show of money, but they were pretty nonetheless.

She walked up to a little stone statue. It was of some saint, but she didn't know which one. Glinda reached out and traced her fingers over the cool marble.

The door opened and she snatched her hand away. Morrible appeared, walking over to a counter at the side of the room and pulling down teacups and a kettle.

"Glinda, dear," she said lightly, "Don't touch."

The door was still open, putting them within earshot, and Glinda's face burned again. She walked over to Morrible, who had filled the kettle with water and was passing her hand over the top, muttering an incantation to warm it. Morrible gestured toward the cups, and Glinda pushed them toward her.

"Why am I even here?" she asked, her voice low.

"Because we told you to be, my dear."

"Because that governor is a creep, and checking me out makes him more agreeable to whatever the Wizard wants?"

"Don't be so argumentative," Morrible said dismissively, gathering the tea and putting it on a tray. "It goes against your image, _Your Goodness_."

Glinda clenched her jaw. "There is no point in me being here."

"Well, we're not just going to let you just walk back." Morrible picked up the tray, but she paused before leaving. "However, if you're so bored, it's a safe neighborhood. I suppose you may wander around for a while."

Glinda glared, giving her a tiny curtsy. "How kind of you, _Madame_."

"Yes, yes, anything to get you out of my hair." Morrible left the room, shutting the door once more behind her.

Glinda hurried quietly out of the room before she could change her mind. She slipped through the front door and smiled at the fresh air. It was cold, but anything was better than staying in the pretentious, stuffy old house. She hopped down the steps and started down the sidewalk.

It was dark out, but this neighborhood was made entirely of politicians or officers or the like. She had thought she would run into soldiers on patrol, but the streets were empty. She didn't mind. The less attention, the better.

Still, there was something eerie about how quiet the night was. Glinda smoothed her palms across her dress. If it was truly dangerous out here, the Wizard wouldn't be here. If it was anything else, she could handle herself.

She walked on, her heels clipping softly against the street.

* * *

Elphaba's legs were getting stiff, and she stood up and paced quietly back and forth. Malky watched her, his tail flicking slightly. Peric was perched on one of the rooftops, tucked into the shadow of a small overhang. He shuffled a bit and glided down toward them.

"How long are we going to stay here?" he asked.

"As long as it takes," said Malky. Peric shuffled his wings.

"Well, there's no one out there."

Elphaba stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. She looked up, but the lights were too bright in this part of town, and they blotted out the stars.

Malky tensed, an ear tilting to the side. "Wait."

The three of them held still, and after a moment, Elphaba heard what he did. Footsteps were coming up the street, moving quietly. She inhaled sharply. Those steps, the way the shoes clipped against the ground, it was familiar…

"I thought they were supposed to clear the streets," Peric said quietly.

"It doesn't matter," said Malky. "Whoever it is, they need to be taken care of. Let's go."

He padded over to the edge of the alley, Peric following closely. A shiver went through Elphaba, and she pushed herself off the wall.

"Wait," she breathed, hurrying toward them. They paused, and she leaned past them to peer across the street. The footsteps had stopped. There was a movement in the shadows, a flash of blonde hair—

The world froze. Elphaba tensed, her eyes widening. "No…"

"Fae." Peric nudged Elphaba's thigh, hard. " _Fae._ She can't be here."

"He's right," said Malky. "If we don't get rid of her, one of the others will."

Elphaba's mouth moved, but no sound came out. Peric hit her with a wing.

" _Go_ ," he said. "Get her out of here. We'll cover you."

"I… She…"

He hopped up to her shoulder, his weight staggering her and snapping her out of her shock. Elphaba pushed him off, then stepped out into the street. She glanced back, but Malky and Peric had disappeared. Swallowing, she tugged her hood down low and crept forward.

Glinda had paused. She stood uncertainly on the sidewalk, looking around, seeming even smaller than usual. Elphaba hesitated a few feet away. Glinda tensed, but when she looked around again, she obviously saw nothing.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elphaba saw movement down the street. She needed to get Glinda out of here. She waited for her to turn around again, then moved forward.

She wrapped an arm around Glinda's torso, trapping her arms, and used her other hand to cover Glinda's mouth. Elphaba pulled her to the side and down an alley. Every sound they made—their feet scuffing against the ground, the rustle of their clothes, their quick, shaky breaths—echoed around them in the silence. Glinda struggled against her, taking Elphaba by surprise with her strength, but she quickly readjusted. The air around them hummed with energy, and then, just as quickly as it started, the magic vanished. Glinda stopped fighting, though she stayed tense in Elphaba's arms.

Elphaba pushed them further up the alley and shoved Glinda against a wall. She knew she was using more force than necessary. She also knew she didn't—shouldn't—care. Still, she couldn't stop the shiver that went through her as she pressed her body against Glinda's, trying to hide them as much as possible against the bricks. Glinda twisted her neck, trying to look back at her, but Elphaba grabbed the back of her head and held it in place.

" _Hold still,_ " she hissed, barely sounding like herself.

Glinda stilled, staring down at her feet. Elphaba let go of her head and covered her mouth again. After a moment or two, Glinda squirmed a little, dropping one of her shoulders to loosen her arm. She reached up and wrapped her fingers around Elphaba's forearm—the only part she could reach—and squeezed lightly. Elphaba let out a little breath, the hand on Glinda's mouth slipping.

"Elphie?"

Elphaba covered her mouth again, tightening her arm around Glinda. "Hold still." It was nothing more than a breath this time, still urgent but no longer threatening.

They stayed there for a few long minutes, until Elphaba deemed it safe enough to slip away from the block. She leaned in to whisper in Glinda's ear, and the blonde shivered before she could get a single word out.

"Why are you here?" Elphaba asked quietly. She lowered her hand from Glinda's mouth.

"I-I don't—I was just walking—"

"Shouldn't you be in the palace?" Glinda winced, but Elphaba ignored it. She tightened her grip, shaking Glinda slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I—the Wizard—"

Elphaba pushed her a little further into the wall. "I should have known," she growled.

"Elphie—"

"Shut up," she said. "Just tell me which way you came from so I can get you out of here and never see you again."

"Elph—"

"Which way did you come from?" she demanded.

Glinda's shoulders shook and her head hung in Elphaba's hand. "East," she whispered. "I'm a couple streets east."

Elphaba pulled them away from the wall and started down the road. She clung to the shadows and kept Glinda in front of her, never giving her a chance to look back.

"Take a left," Glinda whispered once, and Elphaba tightened her grip on her, irrationally annoyed at the direction. Still, she dragged them to the left.

It didn't take long to find where Glinda had come from. An ornate carriage stood outside one of the larger houses. Elphaba glared. What was Glinda doing there? She told herself it didn't matter and pulled them to a stop at a corner of the street, ducking into the shadows.

Roughly, she pulled Glinda close and pressed her mouth to her ear again. "Get inside," she hissed. "Don't come back out, and don't you _dare_ let the Wizard know I was here."

Glinda twisted, trying desperately to face her. "Elphaba, please, I—"

Elphaba pushed her away. Glinda stumbled forward, and by the time she regained her balance and turned around, Elphaba had vanished.

"Elphie?" she whispered, but no response came from the darkness. Shivering, Glinda wrapped her arms around herself and hurried back inside.

* * *

Glinda didn't speak to anyone for the rest of the night. When the meeting was over and everyone came back into the main room, she feigned exhaustion and did her best to put a convincing enough smile on her face through their goodbyes. Morrible gave her an odd look, brow raised and eyes dancing maliciously, but Glinda was too shaken to think too much about it.

In the carriage on the way back to the palace, the Wizard noticed her trembling and put his suit jacket around her shoulders. Glinda gave him a weak smile and tried not to throw up.

When they arrived, Glinda immediately excused herself, giving the jacket back, and raced away from the foyer. She ran into her room and barely managed to lock the door behind her before collapsing to the floor. She could still feel Elphaba's grip on her, Elphaba's body pressing into hers, Elphaba's breath at her ear. It wasn't gentle. It was harsh and bitter and violent, and Glinda deserved every bit of it.

But…there was still hope, right? If Elphaba truly hated her, she wouldn't have pulled her out of danger. Because something dangerous was happening on those streets. Glinda had known that before Elphaba had even appeared, and she had the feeling that if Elphie hadn't found her tonight, something far worse would have.

Glinda trembled violently. She longed for Elphaba's arms around her again. She didn't care if it was the angry, betrayed Elphaba; she just needed her, now more than ever. She needed the chance to turn around and see her. She needed the words to explain, to tell her that she still loved her, that she was only doing this to help her. But Elphaba hadn't given her the chance—maybe Glinda didn't deserve it.

Her sobs turned to heavy, gasping breaths, and Glinda choked, her stomach heaving. She pushed herself to her feet and rushed to the bathroom, locking that door, too.

That's how she woke up the next morning—curled tightly on the bathroom floor, the tears dry on her face, only a couple hours of sleep making her even more tired than when she had passed out the night before. Her throat felt raw and her head throbbed dully. Groaning a little, she pushed herself up far enough to turn on the water in the bath.

Glinda forced herself to wash up and get ready for the day. She had to be Glinda the Good. She had to put on a smile and do what she could to help people, even if she couldn't help Elphaba. She had to work up the energy to face Morrible—

 _Morrible._

She had let Glinda walk around alone last night. She wasn't stupid, and neither was the Wizard. They had to have known something was happening on those streets. And Morrible let her go anyway.

Glinda was shaking again, with anger this time, and she quickly pulled on her dress and left the room. She didn't meet anyone on the way to Morrible's chambers—or maybe they all just saw the look on her face and steered clear. Either way, in just a few moments she was banging on Morrible's door, demanding to see her.

The door opened and Morrible dragged her inside, slamming it shut again.

"You're making a scene, my dear."

Glinda ignored her infuriatingly calm voice. "You knew last night would happen. You _knew_ you were sending me into danger."

Morrible smirked. "Danger? Last night? Why, I don't know what you're talking about."

Flames sparked to life around Glinda's fists, dancing up her forearms. She lunged forward without thinking, and for a moment Morrible was taken by surprise. She stumbled back, her eyes wide, but then she caught Glinda's wrists. The fire went out as she shoved Glinda away.

"Careful, Your Goodness. Violence doesn't agree with your image."

"I don't give a _damn_ about image," Glinda spat. "Youtried to have me _killed_!"

Morrible made a disapproving sound. "Cut the dramatics, Miss Glinda. We both know the green freak would never let that happen."

Glinda froze. Her knees wobbled beneath her, and she took a few steps back to lean against the door. "You…"

"Yes, we knew she was there. Or, at least, we _suspected_." Morrible watched Glinda's reaction, her eyes flickering with amusement. "See, she and her friends thought they were stopping a meeting from happening last night. They didn't know that it was all a set up. The information they retrieved was false. But, that's not the important part."

Glinda didn't want to hear the important part. She shook her head, her lips parting in horror.

"Did you stop to wonder why there were soldiers in Master Frederick's house last night? They were there to ensure the Wizard's safety, of course, but there's more to it than that. Go on, Miss Glinda, take a guess. We both know you're not as simple as you make yourself out to be."

Glinda swallowed. "It was a trap," she whispered. Why else would Morrible let her wander around by herself? How could she be so _stupid_?

"Yes, my dear. And I really must thank you—you made wonderful bait."

"No."

"When Miss Elphaba brought you back safely to Frederick's house, we had soldiers waiting to follow her. They tailed her for the rest of the night, all the way back to her little hideout. It's only a matter of time before she'll be in our custody."

 _No_. Magic surged through her, but she clenched her fists and held it in check. Morrible waited, but Glinda refused to give her any more satisfaction. She took a deep breath, forcing the energy back down, then turned and yanked the door open, running out of the room before Morrible could stop her.

By the time she reached her chambers, Glinda had calmed just enough to get her magic under control. She slammed the door behind her and fell into the bed, burying herself beneath the endless pillows and blankets. She pressed her face into the mattress and choked out a scream, trying to release some of the panic building in her chest. Of _course_ the whole thing was a trap. Of course there had been soldiers posted outside. She should have known. She should have realized.

But she didn't. She had been stupid and naïve and now Elphaba was going to pay for it. Glinda cried out, her voice muffled by the mattress. She was terrified. She was furious and she was ashamed and she was so, so terrified. And she couldn't breathe.

She pushed herself up and gasped for air. When her lungs no longer ached, she clumsily rearranged the pillows and blankets so she could lie down normally. She clutched a pillow to her chest and buried her face in it, letting the tears fall silently. What was she going to do? What was she going to _do_?

"Your—Miss Glinda?"

Glinda jumped, sitting up and wiping her cheeks. "A-Ambree, I—" Her voice shook and she coughed a little, trying to cover a sob. "I-I—"

Ambree stepped inside, then hesitated. She bit her lip, uncertain, but then she nodded to herself and walked over to Glinda's desk. She set something down before turning and hurrying to the bed.

She knelt beside Glinda and opened her arms, pulling her in close. Glinda shuddered and clung to her. She tried to speak, but could only manage a soft cry. Ambree hushed her and stroked her hair.

"Don't worry about it, Miss Glinda," she said gently. "You don't need to give me any explanation." She shifted, easing Glinda back so she was lying down again, and pulled the covers over her. "Just take care of yourself. I'll make sure no one bothers you today. Okay?"

Glinda wanted to protest. She didn't want to be taken care of—not even by herself. But Ambree tucked her hair back and kissed her forehead, and her exhaustion came back, keeping her in place. She fought it, but her eyes were sliding shut and her hands felt heavy. She felt Ambree stand and leave.

"Thank you," she managed, mumbled and halfhearted. Then, "I don't deserve it."

* * *

When nightfall came, Glinda dragged herself out of bed and went to the window. She pushed the pane open and crawled out onto the sill, curling up so her back was to one side and her knees were hugged to her chest.

It was brighter here in the city. The street lamps and light flooding from the palace blotted out all the stars. Glinda looked up, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the moon, but there was none. She lowered her gaze again to scan the city, narrowing her eyes for a moment, as if she could actually see what she was looking for.

For one insane moment, Glinda thought about jumping down. She wasn't that high up—she could use magic to break her fall, then she could sneak away from the palace. If she could find Elphaba, convince her to listen just long enough to warn her… But it was hopeless. She would be followed by the guards, someone in the streets would recognize her, and she would never reach Elphaba anyway. They may have been in the same city, but it was a large city—far too large to find Elphaba. Especially since, when it came to Glinda, Elphie didn't want to be found.

"Oh, Elphie," Glinda breathed. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to warn her. She wanted her words to somehow stretch across the city and find Elphaba before something worse did. Glinda curled tighter and stared up at the hazy sky. How could they be so close together, yet so impossibly, painfully, far away?

* * *

Elphaba sat on the roof of the corn exchange, staring up at the sky. There was no moon tonight, and the few stars that managed to shine past the lights of the city glowed weakly.

Footsteps echoed down a nearby street. Elphaba tensed a little, but she was used to the sound by now. It was getting warmer, which meant the soldiers were becoming more active again, but they wouldn't see her up here, even if they went past the corn exchange. She curled a little tighter and looked back up at the sky.

Somehow, seeing Glinda had made her presence in the city a reality. It hurt Elphaba, even more than before. Right now, right in this moment, Glinda was in the Emerald City. She was so close.

And yet, so, so far. Glinda was in the palace. She was under Morrible's control. She worked for the Wizard. The two of them had never been further apart. Elphaba sighed heavily. She could still feel Glinda in her arms, trembling, twisting around in an attempt to see her. But even then, when they were pressed tightly against each other, they had been so far apart.

There was no more Glinda. That's what Elphaba had to keep telling herself. Glinda had betrayed her, and now she was Glinda the Good—no more than a stranger. Elphaba couldn't care about her anymore. She wouldn't.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: So anyone who follows my tumblr may have seen this, but this story is coming to a close. After this there are two more chapters and an epilogue. Soooo I guess here's where I say thank you for everyone who has read/liked/reviewed, you guys are amazing. As always, you can check me out on tumblr (lily-onher-grave) for more stuffs.**

 **Okay. That's all. Thank you! Enjoy the last few chapters!**

* * *

"Hey! Who's down there?"

"Time to go," said Peric, unfurling his wings. He hopped into the air and glided smoothly out the window of the store. Elphaba hesitated, looking for an easier way out. They had come in through the window, but it sat a couple feet above her head. Still, the front door was barred, and from the footsteps stomping down the staircase on the far wall, she didn't really have the time for that.

"He makes it seem so easy," she muttered. She wished she had the broom with her, but she hadn't wanted to carry it around all night, so she left it at the corn exchange.

"After you, Fae," said Malky, hopping up onto the counter closest to the window. Elphaba rolled her eyes and climbed up beside him, then jumped to the window, scrambling through and dropping down to the other side with only a little awkwardness. Peric snickered at her as she stumbled through her landing. She gave him a look and stood, brushing off her dress.

Malky appeared in the window with a hiss and leapt straight across the alley onto the neighboring rooftop. He had barely made it out of the way when a ceramic dish came flying after him, followed by shouting from the store's owner.

"Shall we?" Elphaba asked, already hurrying out of the alley. Peric stayed close to her heels while Malky followed from the rooftops.

They only ran for a few streets before slowing down. Peric twisted his neck to look back the way they'd come.

"We lost them," he said with a little smirk.

Malky hopped down from the roof, landing lightly on his feet. He pushed his paws out in front of him and arched his back, stretching low to the ground.

"I'm getting too old for this," he grumbled, sitting up and yawning.

"We need to get you some wings," Peric said, holding one of his out. "It makes life so much easier."

"If I were meant to fly, I'd be born with hollow bones and straw for brains, like you."

"Didn't stop Fae," Peric said, but then he heard the rest of the sentence. "Hey."

Elphaba smirked a little and kept walking. "Don't worry, Peric. He's just jealous because he can't swoop down on people like some terrifying angel of death."

Peric leapt into the air, disappearing for a moment before materializing in front of Elphaba. He swooped down on her, talons out and beak snapping ferociously, and she stumbled back, swatting him away, trying not to bend over with laughter.

Malky chuckled and held his tail high, padding away from them. "Come on, you two. Some of us would like to get home at a decent hour."

"What was that about you getting old?" Peric asked innocently. Malky huffed and his tail flicked. They followed him, and Peric nudged Elphaba with a wing. "No, really. Even his whiskers are turning gray. Have you noticed?"

Malky pounced, taking Peric by surprise and knocking him to the ground. Just as quickly as it happened, he got up, licking his paw casually.

"Silly Peric," said Elphaba. "Don't you know the Cat always gets the Bird?"

Peric flapped his wings and got back to his feet, clicking his beak indignantly, despite the light in his eyes. "Whatever, Fae. You're still the slowest." And just like that, he took off, flying low through the alley. Malky let out a short laugh and chased after him, and Elphaba was left behind.

They raced for a few blocks, until they reached their neighborhood. Peric and Malky waited for Elphaba to catch up with them before starting for the corn exchange.

It was a pleasant night, the warmest it had been in months. A light breeze swept lazily through the city, making it still just a touch too cold, but at least winter was finally fading away.

The corn exchange came into view, but as they got closer, Elphaba grew agitated. Malky paused, hackles rising, and Peric lowered his head. She glanced at both of them, then around the street. When she didn't see anything, she crept forward.

The front doors were closed. The window above them was still boarded up. Everything seemed normal. And yet…

Elphaba looked back again. Peric and Malky nodded slightly, and she pushed through the doors. She held her hand out and the broom flew to her from across the room. Peric and Malky crept inside on either side of her. Everything was quiet. Elphaba glanced over at her makeshift bed. Nothing seemed to be disturbed. Peric tilted his head, his brown, beady eye meeting hers in the dark.

 _Something's not right._

She looked around the corn exchange, but it was too dark to really see anything. Her brow furrowed and she held up her palm, summoning a handful of flames. She raised her hand and the glow hit the far walls, illuminating several shadowy figures.

Malky crouched low, hissing, and Peric tensed and unfurled his wings. The figures rushed toward them and Elphaba threw her flames at the closest one, knocking him back. She hopped on her broom as the rest closed in, kicking off from the ground. She felt Peric rise beside her, clawing viciously at the figure who swung his rifle at him.

A gunshot rang out as she flew higher. She jerked instinctively and the broom surged upward, out of harm's way. It was dark again, her fire out, but Elphaba saw movement on the broken floor of the second story. She narrowed her eyes. The elephants' skull seemed to be glowing faintly, and just barely silhouetted by the light was a soldier, raising his gun.

Elphaba urged the broom forward, diving toward him. He held his ground, moving his rifle to follow her, but she got there first. They collided and fell to the ground, rolling back several feet. The skull was definitely glowing, and in the light Elphaba could see the green and gold of the soldier's uniform—Gale Force. He got up first and aimed a kick for Elphaba's side, but she rolled out of the way and jabbed upward with the broom, hitting him in the gut and giving herself time to climb to her feet. He regained his breath and pulled out a short sword, but Elphaba raised her hand, summoning a burst of energy to throw him back. He hit the ground hard and stayed down.

"Fae!"

Elphaba slipped back onto the broom and glided down to the first floor, where things seemed hopeless. They were surrounded and outnumbered. She couldn't see Malky, but Peric was flying low over the soldiers' heads, dodging swinging swords and guns. Elphaba dove, forcing a couple soldiers to the ground, then pulled back up. She looked across the room at Peric, meeting his gaze for a split second. His eyes were wide, unblinking.

The shot echoed through the corn exchange, but it was strangely muffled compared to the screech that left Peric. Elphaba stared, frozen, suspended in the air as his wings folded in and he dropped, plummeting to the ground. Faintly, she heard Malky's snarl as the Gale Force descended on Peric.

Blood rushed through Elphaba's ears, deafening her, and she felt more than heard the yell that tore through her throat. The room seemed to blast apart. Soldiers were thrown back into the walls. Guns and swords skid across the floor into the shadows. Not even Elphaba was spared from her magic. The broom bucked as the wave of energy hit her, and she crashed into a tower of crates before falling, limp, to the ground.

Her heart pounded, drowning out any other sounds, and her vision was too blurred to see clearly. She blinked a few times and three Gale Force officers came into view, approaching her cautiously. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a smear of white leap up into the window. Malky looked back, but the little light that reached the room caught his eyes and reflected blankly, making his expression unreadable.

Elphaba felt the broom slip through her fingers. She heard voices, rough and cruel, and she knew they were talking about her. The edges of her vision darkened, but she forced herself to look at the boarded up window. _Go,_ she mouthed. Malky hesitated another moment, then slipped through the hole in the boards, disappearing into the night.

* * *

Only a couple of days had passed since she saw Elphaba, yet it felt like years. Glinda barely slept in that time. She spent most of the day in her room, staring out the window, scanning the streets for a glimpse of the guards, dreading the moment when she would see them dragging in a certain green girl.

She felt like she was constantly holding her breath, waiting for the inevitable. Every morning she woke up to no news, but it did nothing to relieve her. Her lessons with Morrible went on as usual. She must have known Glinda would be on edge, because she invited a few of the other palace sorcerers to their sessions. Normally, Glinda would have been grateful for the relief that came with them, but not this time. More people in the room meant Morrible didn't push her to her breaking point, but it also meant that she couldn't blow the old hag to pieces, as she was dying to do. Glinda compromised by pouring herself into her lessons, impressing them all. It meant she was exhausted by the end, but that wasn't exactly unusual, and the scowl on Morrible's face brought her a little satisfaction.

She did what she was told in her lessons, and she put on a convincing smile whenever she was near anyone else, but the second she was alone, Glinda would fall apart. The guilt ate at her. The desperation made her breathless. The anxiety made her sick. And still, time dragged on.

On the third night after seeing Elphaba, Glinda managed to fall asleep with a little bit of hope. If they hadn't caught her yet, maybe they wouldn't. Maybe she had outsmarted them. Maybe she had managed to get away. Maybe…

She woke early the next morning, and was pulling a brush through her hair when someone knocked lightly on her door.

"Come in," Glinda called from where she sat in front of the mirror.

The servant entered, an older woman whose wrinkled hands shook a little around the breakfast tray she carried. "Good morning, Your Goodness," she said cheerfully. "I know it's getting a little warm for it, but I brought you some cocoa—made with milk, just the way you like it."

"Thank you," Glinda said, crossing the room to help her set the tray down. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, it's just wonderful, Your Goodness. The most wonderful news."

Glinda's heart sank. She picked up the mug of cocoa and held it tightly between her hands, lowering herself to the bed. "What…what happened?"

"The Wicked Witch is in custody!" The woman beamed. "Apparently the Gale Force brought her in last night. She's in Southstairs right now. At last, our city can breathe a little easier again."

The mug was too hot in Glinda's hands. She pressed her fingers tighter around it, welcoming the burn. "That's wonderful," she managed. "Such a relief." She didn't sound relieved at all, but the woman was too excited to notice. She curtsied, still smiling wide, and hurried out of the room, probably to go gossip with the rest of the palace staff.

Glinda set her cocoa down and got to her feet. Elphaba was here, in the palace—well, below the palace, in jail. She rushed out of the room, not caring that her feet were bare and she was still in her nightgown and she didn't have a trace of makeup on. They could stare at her all she wanted. She needed to find Elphaba.

What did they do to her? Was she hurt? Was she—no, she had to still be alive. They wouldn't bother putting her in jail if she was…

"Your Goodness?"

Glinda had reached the staircase leading down to the dungeons, but the two guards posted there stood tall and stepped in front of her. They didn't look threatening, just confused, but they stopped her nonetheless.

"I…" Glinda swallowed. "Is it true? Is the Witch down there?"

"Yes, Your Goodness," said one. "She was brought in last night."

She hesitated, considering. It was a long way down to the dungeons. She had only been once, on one of her walks. She had been curious about what the underground part of the palace looked like, and it was all too easy to charm a couple of the guards into escorting her. There were several staircases, locked doors, guards posted every hour of the day. She could easily knock these guards out and go down, but she would never reach Elphaba like that. And they would never just let her go down there. At least, not without permission from the Wizard or—

"Where is Madame Morrible?" Glinda asked. "Do you know?"

The second guard gestured down the staircase. "With the Witch."

There went that idea. Glinda's knees shook as she imagined what Morrible was doing to Elphaba. It took every last shred of willpower for Glinda to smile and thank the guards, and then walk away. She wanted nothing more than to blast her way down to the dungeons, but she knew she wouldn't make it. Not with Morrible down there. She would only get herself locked up, and then how could she save Elphaba?

No, she needed to wait. She needed to think of a plan. She needed to act later, when she was more prepared, and maybe when she had actual clothes on.

Glinda stared down at her bare feet as she made her way back to her room. She hoped, suddenly, that no one else had seen her running through the palace, but she knew they probably had. Sighing, she slipped into her chambers and shut the door gently behind her.

There was an envelope on her desk with her name on it. Glinda frowned a little, but she vaguely remembered Ambree setting something on her desk the other day. She had been distracted ever since and forgot about it entirely, but now…well, she had nothing better to do at the moment.

Glinda crossed to her desk and sat down, carefully opening the envelope. It was another letter, from Fiyero again, and she hesitated before unfolding it. Her fingers trembled, shaking the paper slightly. She took a deep breath and smoothed the page across her desk, then took another and began to read.

 _Glinda,_

 _I've been sitting here for nearly an hour, trying to figure out how to make small talk to open this letter. I really can't think of anything, and since the first letter seemed to get to you with no trouble, I'll assume that this one will be the same and just get straight to things._

 _With only a couple months left until the end of semester, Crope, Tibbett, and I have been discussing summer plans. I'm going back to the Vinkus. With Munchkinland's secession and whatever unrest is sure to be on its way, the people want to be prepared. I'm not sure I'll be able to return to Shiz next fall._

 _Crope and Tibbett don't want to stay here alone for the summer, and they're also uncertain about finishing school. I think they're relying a bit on my decisions. Of course, they're a little put out at the idea of going home, but lately they've been spending all their free time in the library, reading about different cultures. They were throwing around the idea of travelling for a while, but recently they've been picking up business books as well. Tibbett told me the other day that they feel as though they've learned all they can from Shiz. If they don't return next semester, I'm sure it'll be because they've opened up their bar in the Emerald City. Of course, it's all just ideas and plans right now, but they're getting quite serious about it. In fact, I don't think I've seen them this studious since…well, since Dillamond's research._

 _Maybe that's where all of this started, way back with Elphaba. If it weren't for her, I don't know if any of us would consider the idea that we can change Oz. But here we are—me, about to go help lead the Vinkans. Crope and Tibbett, trying to make connections and start their business—which, if you ask me, sounds like it's going to be as much of a cover as it is a bar._

 _Even Boq hasn't given up hope. His letters have been getting more and more obscure. He won't say what he's up to—I don't know, I think it might just be planning at this point. But he is on to something. He told me that if he was going to be in Munchkinland, then he was going to help it in whatever way possible. It's funny. I think, before you took Morrible's offer, he was just going to go home and do whatever he could to survive. Now, he's pushing for more. We all are._

 _We were talking the other day. Do you remember the old lady from town, who sat on the street corner and gave out cider to everyone passing by? Do you remember what she told us? She said we still have a future, and she asked us what we could do about Oz. I think she was telling us that we could make a difference. I think she was right. I know that I want to._

 _You do, too. That's why you took this job. It's why you've gone through hell, losing Elphaba, suffering Morrible, and it's why you're still putting on a smile and doing what you can in that palace. I know it's hard, and you're tired. I can't imagine the things you go through there. But we're with you. I know you'll find a way to help Elphaba._

 _Until then, stay strong. Crope and Tibbett say you have the city wrapped around your finger—I bet the palace is the same way. That's pretty damn useful, if you ask me._

 _Love and miss you,_

 _Fiyero_

Glinda sat back in her chair and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her shins. She set her chin on them and stared sadly at the letter. Fiyero didn't know what had happened, of course. How could he? As far as he knew, Elphaba was still safe, and Glinda hadn't led her straight into the Wizard's grasp. They didn't know Elphaba was in the palace right now, being questioned by Morrible. _Tortured, more like,_ Glinda thought, and she had to bite down hard on her lip to keep from crying.

Glinda tried to imagine a Shiz without any of them in it, but it was hard. Their little circle had truly fallen apart, hadn't it? The group of friends had once seemed like they would last forever. And now here they were, scattered across the country, ready to be blown further away from each other.

Did that mean the end, though? Glinda reached forward, keeping her other arm wrapped around her legs, and tugged the letter closer. Fiyero had written about their plans. He was going back to his people. Who knew what the Vinkans would do, now that Munchkinland had seceded. Morrible had said she thought the Vinkus would be the next country to revolt. Was the Wizard going to go after them next? Either way, Fiyero was going to be there, leading his people. And Crope and Tibbett—Glinda had no doubt they would accomplish whatever they wanted. They already had connections in the city. If they travelled, and they met more people across Oz, if they started their bar and established themselves in the Emerald City… And Boq, whatever he was doing, was helping people.

Glinda let go of the letter and wiped at her eyes. She uncurled herself and stood up, smoothing her palms down the front of her dress and taking a deep breath. Calmly, she walked away from the desk and into the bathroom. Her reflection stared back at her. Her cheeks were flushed and her lashes were clumped and messy from her tears. Glinda tilted her chin up, inspecting herself. Then she got to work.

She ran a hand towel under the water and pressed it to her cheeks, cooling them down. When her skin was dry again, she pulled out her powder and brushed across her face, paying special attention to the darkness beneath her eyes. She still looked pale, so she pinched her cheeks and bit her lips to make them redder. She redid her eyes and dabbed perfume across her collar and her wrists, then she found her brush and did her hair, pinning it so it fell perfectly around her face.

This time when her reflection stared back at her, it looked fierce. It looked dangerous. When she put on her best smile, it looked like it could charm the whole world. Fiyero was right. The entire palace was dazzled by her. The servants and the Gale Force would do anything for her. All she had to do was keep playing her part.

She couldn't afford to break down anymore, and neither could Elphaba. Now, more than ever, she needed to keep her image up. She would find a way to save Elphaba, but until then, she would be Glinda the Good—sweet, kind, innocent, perfect.

Glinda went back into the main room and crossed to the desk. She refolded Fiyero's letter and tucked it back into its envelope, stashing it in a drawer with the first one. There was no point writing back to him while she was still in the palace, but she would keep the letter safe until she could.

"Your Goodness?" a servant girl called through the door.

Glinda smoothed the skirt of her dress, unnecessarily, and looked up. "Come in."

"I was asked to invite you to lunch," said the girl, ducking into the room. "A few of the governors are dining together at noon, and they would like you to join them."

"Tell them I'd be honored," Glinda said.

The servant nodded, then caught sight of the tray near Glinda's bed. "Your Goodness, you haven't touched your breakfast. Is everything alright?"

"Oh." Glinda laughed a little. "I just got distracted, I suppose. I was fixing my hair. Do you like it? Or do you think I should try something different?"

She turned toward the mirror at her wardrobe and gently touched her curls. The servant girl gushed over her appearance, saying she didn't need to change a thing. Glinda thanked her with her most convincing smile, and she blushed and nearly tripped over herself as she curtsied on her way out.

Sweet, kind, innocent, perfect. It was a part Glinda had come to despise, but oh, she knew it well.


	31. Chapter 31

Elphaba didn't want to open her eyes.

If she opened her eyes, it would mean she was awake. If she was awake, she had to face reality. And right now, reality was something she desperately wanted to avoid.

So she kept her eyes closed, and she tried to block out the noises of the jail. She ignored the quiet hum of magic on the cell bars and the slight rattle of the soldiers' guns as they walked through the hall. She ignored the quiet squeak of the boots of the guard who stood closest to her, just a couple cells down. She ignored the mumblings of the other prisoners, or the scuff and rustle as they shifted around. The man in the cell across from her—a Quadling who could have once been handsome, but was now too thin and ragged to be much of anything—liked to scratch at the floor of his cell. More than once, he clawed at the ground until his fingers bled. The sight made Elphaba's skin crawl, and she was forced to screw her eyes shut and turn away. She felt sorry for the man. Apart from a few broken phrases, he spoke only in Qua'ati, which made the guards despise him even more.

She didn't know how much time had passed. There were no windows—the only light came from flickering lanterns and torches set into the wall—and she didn't bother asking. After figuring out it burned her, spitting at her had become the guards' favorite response to anything she did.

Elphaba didn't really want to know the number of days, anyway. What use was it to know? This many days she had been rotting in the jail. This many days the soldiers had dragged her from one room to another, with their fists and their clubs and their laughter that scraped against her ears.

This many days since Peric…

Elphaba shook her head and pressed her fingers to her temples. There were chains at her wrists that trailed back and bolted to the wall. They didn't restrict her movement too much as long as she sat near the wall, but they rattled obnoxiously and echoed in the quiet hallway every time she shifted around.

She didn't want to think about Peric, or Malky, or anything that had to do with the Resistance. That was the information they wanted, and she refused to give it up. Not thinking about it made it just a little easier.

Of course, she couldn't really escape it. Many of her fellow prisoners were also agents, or at least supporters. After that first night, when they had dragged her through the city, into the palace, and down seemingly endless staircases to the dungeons, many of them had recognized her.

Elphaba didn't even know why she was still conscious then. The drain of her magic, the pain throbbing through her body, even just the horror of it all should have knocked her out ages ago. But there she was, nearly all of her weight supported by the soldiers who brought her in. She watched through lidded eyes as one of them took her broom and wandered down a different hallway. They tore off her cloak—the hat had been lost on the way there, and was now probably lying in the shadows of some dark alleyway of the city—but they somehow didn't take the scarf from around her neck, maybe because it was too tattered by now to be of any use.

She had heard the metal click of a cell door being opened, and then she was shoved inside, landing roughly on the dirt and straw.

"Welcome to the palace, Witch," one of them had spat, and she didn't even have the energy to flinch away.

When the guards' heavy footsteps had faded away and all was still again, a small voice had broken through the silence.

"…Fae?"

She had crawled to the door of her cell and peered carefully through the bars. Shadows moved in the other cells, shifting into the light of the hall. There were faces she recognized, just faintly, from her days living in the underground. Others she had never seen before, but they belonged to Animals or Munchkins, all of them frail and dirty, who had lived in the lower towns and just happened to know her name.

She didn't know who had spoken. It could have been any one of them. They all looked hopeless enough to match the voice. Elphaba had ducked her head and turned away, retreating from the bars. She had failed them. She had failed everyone.

* * *

"Miss Elphaba. How lovely it is to see you again."

However many days she had been here, Morrible had only bothered her once. It was a pointless trip. _Tell me what you know_ had been met with a string of curses that Elphaba was still a bit proud of, and _that_ had been met with a series of threats that Elphaba didn't bother listening to. She knew how this would go.

Truth be told, for all that Elphaba had been through in and out of the palace, Madame Morrible still frightened her the most. If she was in any mood to be amused, she might find it humorous. She had wandered Munchkinland and the Emerald City by herself for weeks. She had broken into houses and businesses and the most prominent bank in the city. She had seen Dr. Dillamond, and now Peric, killed in front of her. She had nearly died herself, and she had faced an infuriated Glinda because of it. Just this past week, she had been dragged around, beaten, tortured for information—and yet, to this day, nothing terrified her more than the woman who now stood in front of her cell.

Elphaba raised her head. "I'm sorry I can't say the same, Madame." She had fallen back on her biting retorts the last few days, a habit that brought her both satisfaction and pain.

"I'm sure you can't. Are you busy? I'd love to chat for a while." Morrible held up a ring of keys and unlocked the cell door, letting herself in without waiting for an answer.

"Oh, sure, make yourself at home," Elphaba said, though she shrank back ever so slightly back against the wall. "It's not very often I get visitors."

"No? The Gale Force aren't keeping you company?"

"Well, they're around so often, I can hardly call them guests, now can I?"

"In that case, I hope this is a pleasant surprise for you."

"Not particularly," Elphaba said. "I think I prefer the guards. They're not quite as hideous to look at, you see."

There was a cough from one of the cells down the hall that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Morrible narrowed her eyes at Elphaba.

"How amusing you are, Miss Thropp."

Elphaba gave her a wry smile. "Am I still considered a Thropp? I figured I had been disowned by now."

"Renounced, yes, but not disowned. At least, not to my knowledge."

"Renounced?" Elphaba tilted her head a little.

Morrible smirked. "I'm a bit disappointed in you, my dear. I thought you would have figured it out by now."

"Well, I've been away from home for a while," Elphaba said calmly. "But I suppose you mean when the Eminent Thropp was here. I suppose she betrayed me? Told you everything she knew about me?"

"Something like that, yes."

"Well I'm not too surprised." Elphaba paused. "Is that how you knew where to find me?" It didn't seem right, but she had no other guesses as to how they were ambushed.

Morrible's grin widened, baring her teeth a little, and Elphaba couldn't help but shudder. "I can't give away all my secrets now, can I, Miss Elphaba?"

"I suppose that's fair," Elphaba said, her voice dropping, "since I'm not giving away any of mine."

Morrible's hand whipped out faster than she could follow, striking Elphaba across the cheek hard enough to snap her head to the side and make her taste blood.

"You may think you're doing well now," Morrible hissed, leaning in. "But rest assured, my dear, this is only the beginning. I _will_ break you."

Elphaba spat at her, earning herself an immense feeling of satisfaction when she saw her blood hit Morrible's blouse.

"You always had a taste for the theatrical, didn't you, Madame?" she said. Morrible growled and grabbed the scarf around her neck, yanking Elphaba up so they were almost nose to nose.

"I don't think you understand the position you're in, _Miss Elphaba._ This isn't you running around the city with your little friends, and it _certainly_ isn't your childish antics back at Shiz. It's over for you. The only reason you're still alive is because I haven't decided to kill you yet."

Elphaba sneered. "Please. I have information you want, and besides, you enjoy watching me suffer too much to kill me."

Morrible let her fall back down to the floor and raised her palm. Ice sprang to life above her hand, and she grabbed Elphaba's forearm, holding it tightly for a moment while the ice formed a ring around it. Elphaba bit her lip hard, but a loud groan still managed to escape. The ice clung to her skin, biting fiercely even before it started to melt. She breathed in sharply through her nose and lifted her head to glare at Morrible.

"You're right, I do enjoy watching you suffer." A slow, horrible grin spread across Morrible's face. "And since I do, I think I'll let you in on another little secret. Have you wondered lately how your dear Miss Glinda is doing?"

Elphaba clenched her jaw and said nothing. She wanted to roll her eyes and scoff and deny any interest, but Morrible saw right through her before she could even try. She tsked, disapproving.

"These foolish _feelings_ for her are going to get you killed, Miss Elphaba. They are the reason you are here now, after all." Morrible smiled more as Elphaba's eyes widened. "Yes, that's the secret. Did you not know? The night that you saved her, when she was wandering around the city—that's when it happened. It was a trap, she was the bait, and after you brought her back safely to us, it was all too easy to follow you home."

"You're lying."

"Am I? Or do you just not want to admit that she betrayed you? Without her, you wouldn't be in this prison. You would still be out there wreaking havoc, I'm sure. That little Bird friend of yours might still be alive, too."

Elphaba screamed and lunged forward, her hands flickering with magic, but it was useless. Morrible gave a lazy wave of her hand even before the chains could stop her, and Elphaba was thrown back against the wall.

"Poor, poor, Miss Elphaba," Morrible simpered. She rose to her feet and left the cell, closing and locking the door behind her. "I told you I'd break you."

* * *

Not an hour later, something moved outside the bars of her cell. Elphaba looked up at the trio of guards that were unlocking the door, her hands instinctively curling to fists. Whatever they did to her, she could take it. It would be nothing compared to what Morrible had done.

She grinned as they entered, though it was little more than the baring of her teeth. Two of them held up clubs and the third carried a gun across his back, yet they all looked nervous as they approached.

"Hello, boys. I wasn't expecting more company so soon," she said casually. "What horrors do you have for me today? Fifty lashes? Hang me by my ankles? A bucket of water, perhaps?"

The guards said nothing. Elphaba held her wrists in front of her and shook them, rattling her chains loudly. "Well, let's go then. You'll have to get these off me first. Oh, don't worry, it's three against one. What's a poor girl to do?"

The Quadling across the hall wrapped his fingers around the bars of his cell and frowned at her. Elphaba ignored him. She knew she was making things worse for herself, but she didn't particularly care. Her options were either give them the information she had and be killed right away, or stay silent and be killed over time. Since she wasn't going to tell them anything, she figured she should at least have a little fun.

Of course, the moment never lasted, and as soon as the middle guard freed her wrists, one of the others swung his club, hitting her solidly in the back and sending her sprawling forward. Two of them grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out of the cell, the third trailing behind them, now holding his gun in front of himself.

They pulled her up the staircases. Elphaba was quiet now, all her energy focused on staying on her feet. It was something of a hopeless cause, especially since they pushed her back down every time she managed anything close to balance. After a while, the hallways started growing lighter, and Elphaba had to duck her head and blink hard to adjust her eyes.

It was the first time she had been brought out of the dungeons, and Elphaba couldn't help the panic building up inside her. She tried to hide her trembling as they dragged her out of the last staircase and into a polished hallway. She might have managed it, too, had a certain blonde not shown up in that moment.

She wasn't even in her line of sight yet, but Elphaba felt it. She lifted her head and looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, Glinda was there, shining in her pretty dress and perfect hair. She was talking to someone—a guard or a servant, no one too fancy—and he blushed furiously as she gave him a smile and touched his forearm.

Elphaba tensed, magic and anger and fear and pain flooding through her all at once. She was torn. She wanted to look away and pretend Glinda didn't even exist, but at the same time, she was dying to break free from the soldiers and run to her—though she didn't know what she wanted more: to hug her close or to tear her apart.

Before she could decide, a gun poked into Elphaba's back, between her shoulder blades. "Head down, Witch," growled the guard.

Glinda heard the low voice and turned. The boy she was talking to hurried off, back to his job in the kitchens, but she didn't even notice him leave. She felt the air leave her lungs, and she fell back a little, reaching out to catch herself on the wall.

Elphaba was there, not twenty feet down the hall. Three guards surrounded her—two gripping her arms, pulling her along so her feet dragged behind her, and the third following, jabbing his gun into her back. She looked awful. She was skinnier than Glinda had ever seen her, the angles of her face sharper than ever before. Her hair hung lifelessly in front of her face. Her clothes were loose and tattered, but—Glinda had to swallow a cry when she saw it—Ama Clutch's scarf still hung around her neck. There were cuts and bruises on every part of her skin that was showing, and an angry red burn formed a ring around her arm, just below the elbow.

Worst of all, though, were her eyes. They burned straight into Glinda, accusing her, hating her, making her feel all the hurt and all the torture Elphaba was feeling. Glinda opened her mouth, but a tiny choked noise was the only sound that escaped.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and suddenly Morrible was there, holding Glinda in place. Something flashed in Elphaba's eyes, something far more painful than the glare she had been giving Glinda, and she let her head fall as the guards dragged her on.

Morrible's fingers dug into her shoulder, turning her around. Wordlessly, she led Glinda in the opposite direction and pulled her into a spare room.

"A little more discretion would be wise, Miss Glinda. If the wrong people saw you like that…" Morrible trailed off, letting her threat hang in the air, but Glinda wasn't paying attention to her words. Her eyes were focused on Morrible's blouse, and the small, dark crimson stain that was there.

"What did you do to her." It wasn't a question. It was little more than a breath. The air around them began to hum with energy as Glinda felt raw power surge through her. Morrible raised her eyebrows but gave no other reaction. She simply watched Glinda, waiting to see what she would do.

Glinda curled her fingers tight and forced herself to take a breath. Morrible wanted her to lose control. She wanted her to attack. But Glinda couldn't. Not here. She couldn't give Morrible a reason to throw her in jail. Not now, when she had seen how desperately Elphaba needed her.

"What," Glinda asked, the words tight as she tried to rein in her magic, "did you do to her?"

"The same thing I would do to any difficult prisoner." Morrible's voice was low.

"You won't break her," said Glinda. "She's too strong."

"But she has her weaknesses," Morrible sneered. "And you, my dear, are one of them."

Her magic flared, heat pouring through her, but she held it in check. "What did you do?" she hissed.

"I told her the truth. I told her how she came to be in our dungeon." Morrible raised her chin, looking down on Glinda. "Didn't you see the way she looked at you? Do you really still think you can help her, when she clearly despises just the thought of you?"

Elphaba's glare still burned into Glinda's mind. She shut her eyes and tried to erase the image. Her breathing became ragged. The little lantern in the wall above them started to flicker.

"Go on," Morrible said quietly. "Do it. It's just you and I, Miss Glinda. For once, show me what you're capable of."

Glinda wanted to. She wanted to rip Morrible to shreds. She pressed her fists into her thighs, digging her knuckles into flesh.

"Prove that you're not a total disappointment," said Morrible. "We both know you want to. The question is, can you?"

She could. For the first time, as Morrible pushed her to her limits, she could push back. And oh, it was so tempting. What if Glinda could beat her? If she fought her, and ran after those guards, if she could get to Elphaba and get out of the palace in time…

Then what? They had nothing, and nowhere to go. One wrong move, and she and Elphaba would lose everything.

Glinda felt herself trembling, and she gave into it. She stumbled and fell, landing on her hands and knees. Magic pulsed through her still, but she shoved it down and let her head hang, breathing heavy.

There was triumph in Morrible's step as she came forward. She crouched to Glinda's level and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her close so she could speak in her ear, "I guess some things never change." She pushed Glinda away and straightened. "Don't worry, dear. We'll keep practicing. Tomorrow afternoon, in our usual room."

With that, Morrible turned and left the room, letting the door bang shut behind her. Glinda held her breath and counted a full minute before letting go. When she did, the magic rushed out of her, almost painful in its need to be free. The lantern blew out and was knocked from its place on the wall. The floor beneath Glinda cracked, leaving a jagged scar in the stone tile.

Tomorrow afternoon, in their usual room. After today, their session was sure to be painful, which meant it would be just her and Morrible. Glinda thought of their training room—large, mostly empty, set away from everything else—and the beginnings of a plan started to form. It was all she needed. Tomorrow afternoon, she would be ready.

* * *

Glinda was restless the next day, but she had plenty to keep her busy. She packed a large, plain bag with a few things—a couple of tightly rolled outfits, her sketchbook, the architecture book, the jar of burn cream, and Fiyero's letters. She didn't know what else to pack, except food, but she didn't think know how to sneak into the kitchens without being questioned.

An answer came in the form of Ambree, who knocked on her door around mid-morning with a tray for breakfast.

"Good morning, Miss Glinda," she said. Glinda quickly clasped the bag shut and went over to greet her.

"Good morning, Ambree," she said. "Thank you."

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" There was a light in Ambree's eyes, and Glinda thought she might be asking if Glinda had another letter to send. She smiled a little.

"No. I'm afraid my needs are rather simple today."

Ambree smiled back and curtsied a little, preparing to leave, and that's when it hit Glinda.

"Actually, wait." Glinda ran her finger along the edge of the tray. "Could you—is it possible—"

"Anything you want, Your Goodness," said Ambree. "Just say the word, and I can get it for you."

 _Simple needs,_ Glinda thought to herself. "There are two things. I've been thinking about a picnic, out on the grounds, now that the weather is getting nicer. But I'd like to be discreet—I don't need half a dozen guards following me around. Do you think it's possible to get a basket of food without anyone knowing?"

Ambree smiled sympathetically. "Of course. And the other thing?"

"Oils," said Glinda. "For my bath tonight. I feel like pampering myself."

"That sounds lovely," said Ambree. "Should I try for any particular scents?"

Glinda's answer was automatic. "Pinewood."

"Yes, Miss Glinda."

She curtsied again and left the room, and Glinda allowed herself a little smile. The morning wore on as she continued her work. She dressed in her favorite oversized, worn, cozy sweater and tied her hair at the back of her head. She put on her makeup the way she used to, the way she liked it, and when she looked in the mirror, she didn't feel like Glinda the Good, she just felt like Glinda.

It was a good feeling.

Ambree returned a little ways into the afternoon with a picnic basket. It was packed full of fruits, crackers, cheese, little cakes and cut sandwiches, and tucked into the corner, wrapped carefully in cloth, were several bottles of oil. Glinda thanked Ambree profusely, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, and Ambree blushed and stammered her way out of the room.

Half an hour before she was to meet Morrible, Glinda shouldered her bag and left her chambers without looking back. She first went to the hallway where she had seen Elphaba the day before. She slipped into the spare room Morrible had dragged her into and was relieved to see that it had been untouched. For a moment she paused, staring numbly at the jagged crack in the floor. Then she shook herself off and tucked her bag against the wall. When that was done, she slipped back into the hall and made her way through the palace, toward the rooms where she practiced sorcery.

This part had been tricky to figure out, but it was vital to getting Elphaba out of the palace safely. She stopped outside the door of one of her instructors, hesitating for a moment before knocking softly.

Most of her training had been with Morrible, so she didn't know the rest of the palace's sorcerers well. But the man who answered the door was old and quiet, and he always seemed to have a twinkle in his eye. He beckoned Glinda inside with a grin that was far younger than his years.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Your Goodness?" he asked. "Aren't you meeting with Madame Morrible soon?"

"I am," Glinda admitted, "But I've been wondering something, and it's a bit too delicate for Morrible's advice. I'm afraid she wouldn't like my asking questions about it, even if I am only curious."

"Curious about what, child?"

She kept her tone light. "In the papers, I've read about the Witch's broom. Now, I understand journalism isn't exactly accurate, but if there's any truth to it, I find it fascinating."

"The broom?"

"Could it really allow her to fly?" Glinda asked. "If so, how? What sort of magic was used to create it? And how could it hold up to such a powerful enchantment?"

He chuckled a little. "I suppose it is an interesting little artifact. I'd never thought about it before."

"I'd love to be able to study it," said Glinda. "But, I suppose, the Gale Force destroyed it when they captured the Witch."

"I wouldn't make any assumptions," he said, waving his finger. "No, often times, they like to bring in any special weapons of their prisoners. It's bad form to leave your enemies' projects lying loose around the city, you know."

"So, the broom is here? In the palace?"

"In the dungeons, I'd wager. They keep all the prisoners' possessions locked away, in a little side room."

Glinda thought hard. "Oh. I suppose there's no hope of studying it then."

"Why ever not?"

She smiled a little. "The dungeons are no place for someone like me. They wouldn't let me down there for anything."

"Oh, it's only about halfway down, if I remember right. It's before you get to the bottom floor with the cells, anyway. I'm sure they'd let you go down there, if you asked nicely." He winked a little. "But that's for another time. Now you probably should be going. Wouldn't want to keep that Morrible waiting, now would we?"

"No, of course not," Glinda said. _Side room. Halfway down._ It wasn't much, but it was enough. "Thank you, sir."

"Anytime, anytime."

* * *

Morrible was smirking when Glinda arrived. She seemed to radiate victory, even as she calmly gave Glinda a list of exercises to do.

The afternoon light flooded in through the windows on the back wall, creating odd shadows near the pillars on either side of the room. Glinda stalled throughout the lesson, working slowly through the exercises, saving her energy and biding her time. She had been worried that Morrible would lose patience with her, but she seemed content to watch Glinda muddle through.

"You seem a bit off today, Miss Glinda. Is something troubling you?"

Glinda stayed silent. Morrible was trying to get a rise out of her, but it wouldn't work. _Not yet,_ Glinda thought, glancing up at the windows.

Still, every time Morrible said something, she let it fuel her. She tucked the anger aside for later, when she would need it, and she kept working.

The light outside turned gold, then pink, then began to fade altogether. Morrible walked around the room, waving her fingers at the lanterns to light them. Glinda lowered her hands, gently setting the table she had been levitating on the ground.

"Did I tell you to stop?"

Glinda took a deep breath, gathering her courage. How long had she been terrified of this woman? She closed her eyes as Morrible walked toward her.

"Miss Glinda—"

Glinda opened her eyes and threw her arms out. The wave of energy hit Morrible, but she planted her feet and raised her hands against it, and she was only sent back a foot or two.

"Really, my dear?" she asked. Glinda clenched her jaw and glanced over at the door. It swung shut with a firm, echoing thud. Morrible raised her eyebrows. "Well. If you insist."

She sent a blast of ice at Glinda, who dove out of the way, rolling smoothly to her feet. Glinda summoned her flames and threw it at Morrible, but the headmistress deflected them with a flick of her wrist. She grinned smugly, raising her hands, and Glinda heard crackling as the hair on her neck stood on end.

Glinda reached for the table she was levitating earlier. It flew toward her as Morrible sent the lightning at her. The spell hit the table, which promptly cracked, flickering with flames. With a yell, Glinda pushed her arms out, sending it flying at Morrible.

Morrible caught it, but she stumbled back a few steps with the force of it. Her eyes narrowed and she tossed the burning furniture across the room. She held her hands in front of her, claw-like, and summoned her own flames. They flared brightly, flickering gruesome shadows across Morrible's face. Her eyes met Glinda's, and the blonde swallowed as Morrible threw the spell at her. Glinda raised her arms just in time, and Morrible's fire hit a wall of air, never touching her. But Morrible kept pushing, and the spell hovered between them, trembling.

"My dear Miss Glinda," Morrible said calmly. "If you think you can win against me, you are sadly mistaken."

Gritting her teeth, Glinda summoned her energy and pushed back. The flames fell back a few feet, but then Morrible growled and flexed her fingers, and Glinda felt herself stumble, barely keeping her shield up. The fire grew hotter between them. Glinda's arms started to shake and her breath grew shallow.

Suddenly she was back in the sorcery classroom, being taunted, tormented, told she wasn't good enough. Morrible was pushing her, tearing her down, pulling her apart so that Glinda could be put back together just the way she wanted her to be. From her very first day at Shiz, Morrible had been against her, and Glinda had never won.

Not this time.

With a cry, Glinda thrust her arms forward. The flames flared bright pink and flew away from her, straight toward Morrible. Glinda saw the shock cross her face, and then she was gone, crashing back into the wall.

The fire disappeared, though the heat lingered. Glinda crept forward, her hands still up in front of her. Morrible was slumped against the stone, breathing heavily.

"Foolish little brat. You can't save her. But if you had kept your head down and done what we told you, you could have saved yourself. You should have saved yourself." Morrible shook her head, looking at her with disgust. "Instead you're dooming yourself, and for what? A girl who doesn't even care about you anymore."

Glinda's fists clenched as a tremor ran through her. Morrible was lying. She was trying to manipulate her, control her to get what she wanted.

She thought of all the times she had lost control in Morrible's classroom, or around Shiz, or even here in the palace. She thought of all the times she had hurt someone in a burst of rage or despair. She thought of the strength and focus she had found these last few weeks. She looked at Morrible, then up at the pillar closest to them.

Her hand wasn't shaking when she raised it. When she summoned her magic, it didn't hum beneath her skin, yearning to break loose. Instead, it flowed steadily through her, completely in her command.

The stone cracked and groaned, tilting dangerously. Morrible's eyes widened, but Glinda thrust her other hand forward, pinning her in place as the pillar fell.

Morrible shrieked, even as the sound of the crash faded, and Glinda let out a tiny breath, suddenly filled with a sense of finality. She stepped closer and leaned over to look Morrible in the eye.

"I want you to know, _Madame_ , that your greatest mistake was teaching me." Glinda's voice was low, deeper than normal, and far more dangerous. "You tore me apart. You forced me to continue sorcery, and then you pushed me beyond what any student should ever have to learn. You _trained_ me, so I could take this job and do whatever you wanted. And that—" Glinda stood tall and gestured to herself, "— _this_ , is your downfall."

"You can't help her," Morrible snarled. Outside, they heard heavy footsteps running down the hall, getting louder. Morrible pushed uselessly against the pillar that was pinning her down, then gasped in pain, falling still again. "Even if you reach her, she despises you. You'll fail, and you'll be thrown in there to rot alongside her."

"You're wrong. You always did underestimate me." Glinda turned to face the doorway and called out, "Guards! Someone, hurry!"

Three Gale Force soldiers appeared through the doors, rushing toward them. Glinda stumbled back, hugging her waist.

"S-someone attacked her," she said shakily. "They disappeared before I could see who it was. I-I-I can't lift the pillar, please, you have to help—"

One of the soldiers grabbed her shoulder gently, pulling her further away from Morrible. "It's okay, Your Goodness. We're here; you're safe now. Are you sure you didn't see who it was?"

"They were dressed in black, and their hood was up," Glinda said. She grabbed his wrist. "She was thrown against the wall, and then the pillar fell. I think she might have hit her head. She was incoherent when I tried to talk to her. Is she going to be alright? Is she—?"

"We'll take care of it," he said. "But you might not be safe here. Let me escort you back to your chambers."

Glinda nodded, but then looked at Morrible. "N-no, stay with her."

"Your Goodness—"

"Help her. _Please_."

He hesitated, but then let go of her. "Yes, Your Goodness. Don't worry. We'll take care of her."

"I'll send more guards your way. We need to get her out from under there."

The other soldiers nodded, already pulling away pieces of the stone. Morrible was cursing and snapping at them, screaming for them to arrest Glinda, but they paid her no mind. As Glinda backed away from them all, her eyes locked with Morrible's. She tilted her head up, staring down at her for a long moment.

Then she turned on her heel and hurried out, heading not up to her room, but down, far beneath the palace.


	32. Chapter 32

All Glinda wanted to do was run. She wanted to sprint down the halls, her feet pounding against the floor, her breath scraping in and out of her lungs, her heart racing with the rush. Well, her heart _was_ racing, but that was just a result of the emotion and magic and adrenaline pouring through her.

Running would draw attention though, so she forced herself to walk quickly but calmly through the palace. She passed a couple of people, but they only gave her a quick smile or a little bow of their head before continuing with their various tasks. By the time she reached the ground floor, Glinda was trembling with pent up energy. Not that it bothered her, really. She had control of her magic, and if she looked shaken, she would be that much more convincing.

Glinda took a deep breath as she turned into the hallway that led to the dungeons. As usual, two guards were posted outside the staircase. Glinda put on a worried face—not that it was hard—and ran up to them.

"Thank goodness! I've been looking all over for help!" she cried. Both of them turned toward her, and one stopped her, grabbing her arm gently and bending a little to look at her more closely.

"Your Goodness?" he asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Madame Morrible," Glinda said breathlessly. "She was attacked. I tried to help, but one of the pillars fell on her—I couldn't lift it, I—"

"Who attacked her?" asked the second guard.

"I don't know!" Glinda cried. "I didn't see them, and I couldn't help her. I called the guards, but it's so heavy. I told them I'd get more help, but I couldn't find anyone, and—"

"Okay, it's okay," the first guard said, squeezing her arm. "Where are they?"

"The sorcery rooms on the third floor. Down the western hallway. Please, you have to help them!"

"We will," he assured her. "But you should get to your chambers. If Morrible was attacked, you could be in danger, too."

Glinda nodded distractedly. "I will, but please, you have to hurry."

"Of course, Your Goodness," said the second guard. "But first, we can escort you—"

"N-no, I'll be fine. I'll head to my room. I just…need a second to catch my breath." They both hesitated, and she met their eyes, pleading. "Go. Help her. _Please_."

"Yes, Your Goodness," said the first guard. He let go of her arm and nodded at the other, and they both hurried off. Glinda slumped against the wall, breathing hard, until they were out of sight. Then she pushed herself up and hurried down the stairs.

The way down to the jail was creepy—there was no other word for it. The further down she went, the dirtier the hallways became. The polished stone floor turned to cracked rock and dirt. The hallways grew darker, the light from the main part of the palace fading to just the occasional flickering lantern. Every once in a while she would hear a distant cry or rattling chains. Glinda moved forward carefully, making her way through the orange glow of the halls. She scanned the walls as she passed, looking for the little side room that would hold Elphaba's broom.

She reached a little landing between staircases and paused. Two soldiers stood at the bottom of the next flight, leaning on either side of a wooden door. Glinda tilted her head. That had to be it. How badly would they react if they saw her down here? Could she talk her way through them, like she had done with the others?

There wasn't much of a choice. There was only so much time before Morrible would manage to get free, or before she would convince the Gale Force to come after Glinda. She needed to keep moving.

She hurried down the stairs toward the guards, who both jumped a little as they saw her.

"Your Goodness, you shouldn't be down here."

"It's an emergency," said Glinda, putting on her panicked, breathless voice. "Someone broke into the palace."

They glanced at each other, eyebrows raised. The guard on the left, a woman, looked back at Glinda.

"Why hasn't the alarm been raised?"

"It only just happened," Glinda panted. "Madame Morrible and I were attacked during our lesson. Whoever it was ran off before I saw them."

"Are you okay?" said the man on the right.

Glinda nodded. "Yes, but Morrible isn't. A pillar fell. I tried to help her but it was too heavy."

"Why did you come down here?" the female guard asked, looking far less sympathetic than her partner.

"I was looking for help!" Glinda swayed a little and caught herself on the male guard's arm. He wrapped an arm around her, supporting her. "Please. Someone's loose in the castle, and Morrible is stuck up there. Someone has to help her!"

"Someone needs to raise the alarm," said the female guard. "And you need to get to safety, Your Goodness."

"I need to help Morrible!"

"We'll help Morrible," said the male guard, holding her up until she was steady on her feet again. The other guard looked at him, and he added, "And we'll raise the alarm."

If they sounded the alarm bell, it would be impossible to get Elphaba out unseen. But before Glinda could protest, the woman walked around the corner and called down the hall to another guard.

A young man jogged up the steps toward them. "Yes ma'am?"

"Escort Her Goodness back to her room, then keep watch on this door until we get back. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

The soldier holding Glinda let go. "Everything will be taken care of, Your Goodness. No need to worry anymore."

"Please, hurry!"

The two older guards hurried off, leaving Glinda with the boy. She leaned a little to the side, looking down the hall. No one else was in sight. He looked at her nervously before holding his arm out, gesturing for her to lead. Guilt flashed through Glinda for what she was about to do, but she didn't have time to waste. She touched his arm and smiled reassuringly, then murmured a quick spell. The gun was wrenched out of his hands. It hovered in the air for a split second before slamming back into his gut. The boy doubled over and the gun jerked up, knocking him hard in the forehead. His eyes slid shut and he swayed, but Glinda caught him before he could hit the ground.

"I am so, so sorry," she whispered, easing him down so he was slumped against the wall. She stood up again and tried the door, but the handle only turned a fraction of an inch before stopping. Glinda rolled her eyes and said another quiet spell, and the lock clicked open.

She dragged the guard and his gun into the room and laid them down gently. Glinda paused for a moment, frowning at the boy's face. He couldn't have been much older than her.

She pressed her fingers to his forehead, feeling a little welt start to form. "You're going to have a killer headache when you wake up," she said, almost apologetically. "I suppose that's what you get, working for the Wizard. Occupational hazards and all."

Glinda stood and looked around the room. There were clothes, jewels, weapons, bottles, books—everything imaginable, stacked or crammed or locked in chests and shelves and crates. There was a small, dark cloak hanging on the wall near her, and she swiped it, thinking that it was around her size and could be useful later. She draped it over her arm and turned in a slow circle, looking for the broom, but there was so much stuff. She started to panic as she thought about the seconds ticking by. Soon, they would ring the alarm bell, and guards would start pouring through the dungeons. They would notice that no one was guarding this room, and they would find her. They would drag her back to her rooms or worse, they would drag her to her own cell, and everything would be lost, all because she couldn't find that damn _broomstick._

Glinda growled and raised her hand, letting the flames spark to life around it. The pale pink color bounced dimly across the walls, and something caught in the light. Glinda almost ignored it—she wasn't looking for anything that would be shining—but then she did a double take. The broom was there, glowing ever so slightly in her magic, almost as if it wanted to be found.

 _Impossible_ , thought Glinda, but she stepped toward it anyway. She wrapped her fingers around the handle, and the wood felt warm beneath her skin. She shook the fire from her other hand, but not before catching a glimpse of the cloak that was on the floor near the broom. _Elphaba's,_ she thought, reaching down and picking it up. It was worn and black and if it wasn't Elphaba's, then it would be soon. Glinda hung it over the broom, along with her own, and hurried back out to the hallway. She shut the door behind her and moved quickly, going still deeper beneath the palace.

She had to hurry now. Every second, she was terrified of hearing the distant, muffled chime that would mean the entire Gale Force was after her.

The hallways stayed surprisingly empty until she reached the bottom floor. The staircase opened up into a medium-sized, square room. Glinda hesitated just outside the glow of the nearest lantern. The room was full of guards—pacing around, leaning against the wall, playing cards around a small, wooden table. She did a quick head count and cursed. Eight of them. That was too many to talk her way through, even if she had the time. Not to mention whoever was past the other side of the room, guarding the first hall of jail cells. Glinda set the broom aside, mumbling, "Stay," to it. Surprisingly, it did, hovering horizontally just a foot or so off the ground, the cloaks still draped over it. Glinda raised an eyebrow, but she didn't have time to focus on that. She took a deep breath, steeling herself, then stepped into the light.

"Your Goodness!" was chorused immediately. Chairs scraped and the soldiers stumbled over themselves trying to reach her. Glinda watched them, noting how flustered they were. If she could get them close enough…

"Please," she said, her voice small. "Please, I need help."

That did it. The ones who weren't already at her side rushed there. They all started talking over each other, asking her what was wrong, telling her she shouldn't be there, making plans to escort her back to her room. For a moment, Glinda was lost in it. Her mind spun as their words ran together, and she was suddenly disgusted by them all. As if she needed them. As if they could take care of her. As if she was ever the helpless little girl they all wanted her to be.

One of the closer soldiers reached for her, and she twisted away, shoving her arms out. Energy pulsed through her, and every single soldier was thrown back, crashing into the walls. Glinda held her breath, her arms still up in front of her, but none of them stirred. She lowered her hands and exhaled, letting her anger and her magic settle back down. There were no sounds from the doorway across the room, but that didn't mean much. She had never been down this far, but she knew that the jail cells were a maze of hallways, with guards posted and pacing randomly throughout. Glinda might have made it this far, but the challenge was only beginning.

She stepped back into the hall and grabbed the broom. If there was ever a point of no return, it was this, so Glinda pulled her cloak from the broom and wrapped it around herself. She drew the hood up and continued on through the room, pausing briefly at one of the unconscious guards to bend over and unhook a ring of keys from his belt.

"Just in case," she whispered to herself, straightening again.

The halls leading down to the dungeons were dark and filthy, but they were nothing compared to the cells themselves. The floor was covered in a thick layer of dirt and straw. Dark stains covered the ground, the walls, the cells, sometimes old and dried, sometimes fresh. Faces peeked at her through the bars. Some of them recognized her, some didn't. Some of them just stared, unseeing. They were gaunt, tired, dangerous, angry. Glinda's heart crawled up to her throat. There were people in here who deserved freeing, but there were also people who didn't. She had no way of telling which was which, so she swallowed hard and crept on, only glancing in the cells long enough to see whether or not it was Elphaba.

She moved quietly and only ran into guards twice. The first time, the soldier was only passing the end of the hall, and she managed to press herself against the wall and wait, unseen, until he decided that all was fine and moved on. The second time, she snuck up on the guard and knocked him sharply over the head with the broom. He crumbled to the ground, and she eased him into a more shadowy spot before continuing.

It smelled awful. Every tiny sound she made seemed far too loud. The hallways twisted and crossed and though she had a pretty good idea of how to get out, she had no way of knowing where Elphaba was. She relied solely on her instinct, the way her heart beat as she looked down two hallways, and maybe the tiniest angle of the broom in her hand as she hesitated at intersections.

And then, suddenly, she knew. Before she saw the subtle magic seal on the cell door, before she heard a soft, familiar cough—she didn't know how, but she knew.

Glinda stopped short just a few feet before reaching the cell, still out of sight. Her mouth felt dry and her throat closed up. Of all the things she had done so far that night, this was by far the most terrifying. What would she find, when she took those few steps forward? What was waiting for her in that cell? Elphaba had looked so terribly, agonizingly awful yesterday. Glinda wasn't ready to see her like that again.

But whatever Elphaba looked like, Glinda was more afraid of what she would say. She remembered Elphaba's glare, burning into her. She remembered Elphaba dragging her through the darkened streets, hissing in her ear. She could hear the hurt, the betrayal, the anger. Morrible had said that Elphaba didn't care about her anymore. That Elphaba despised her.

She shook her head. Those were Morrible's words, and Glinda was done being manipulated by her. She had taken this job so she could help Elphaba. She knew that from the beginning, and there was no more time to doubt it. Glinda straightened her shoulders, set the broom against the wall, and stepped forward.

Elphaba didn't look up when she heard the footsteps approaching her cell. The sound came closer, closer, then stopped. There was a jangling of metal, the clatter of a key against the lock, clumsy and uncertain. The uncertainty was what caught her attention, and Elphaba opened her eyes ever so slightly, squinting.

The figure outside her cell was tiny—certainly smaller than any of the guards she had seen these last few days. They wore a familiar, worn sweater beneath an unfamiliar dark cloak, and wisps of blonde hair stuck out from under the hood.

Elphaba let out a chuckle. "So it really is true. I don't know why it's hitting me now—I've known for weeks."

Now that she had the chance to look at her—really look at her, for the first time since…how long had it been? weeks, months?—Elphaba could see changes. Glinda's hair was a shade or two duller. Worry lines had started to take hold around the corners of her face and the bridge of her nose, especially now, as she fumbled with her ring of keys.

"I suppose it's not that surprising," Elphaba went on. "What did he bribe you? A couple pairs of shoes?"

A lot might have changed, but when Glinda's eyes flashed up to meet Elphaba's, they were just as bright and striking as ever. Elphaba closed her eyes and leaned back, jerking her wrists a little. The metal cuffs around them bit into her skin, and she welcomed the distraction.

Glinda stayed silent and focused on the keys in her hand. Elphaba thought it odd that she didn't know which one to use, but she chose to ignore it. She tilted her head back so it rested against the stone wall.

"And to think, I thought better of you," Elphaba said, adding an edge to her voice in order to keep the waver out of it. "What was it, in the end? The power? The wealth? Or was it the popularity that you couldn't resist? Glinda the Good, they call you. It's nauseating."

"As if _Wicked Witch of the West_ is any better," Glinda hissed back, finally speaking.

"Glinda the Good," Elphaba went on, ignoring her. "Glinda. Ironic, isn't it? You're just like _Galinda,_ now more than ever."

Glinda inhaled sharply. The keys fell silent. She tried to tell herself it was Morrible's influence, that Elphaba was hurt, that she didn't know. Still, the words felt like blows, and she couldn't help but bite back.

"Say what you will," said Glinda coldly. "But you're the one who ended up in jail."

"Not all prisons have bars, blondie."

"They're not dragging me around the palace and torturing me. Can you say the same?"

Elphaba tensed, and Glinda immediately regretted the words. They weren't even true, really.

"Is that what this is?" Elphaba asked, almost too quiet for Glinda to hear. "That's why they sent you down here? The guards and Morrible aren't working, so they want you to beat the answers out of me now? I should have known."

Glinda flinched, but her voice was sharp when she responded. "Should have known? You idiot. You know nothing."

"I know that whatever you're planning to do, it won't work." Elphaba sat forward, her eyes open and burning dangerously into Glinda's again. "They couldn't break me, and neither can you." She screwed her eyes shut once more, and a tremor passed through her body, lingering in her voice. "I stopped caring about you long ago."

 _Morrible's words,_ thought Glinda. She twisted her wrist, and the cell door opened with a sharp click. She didn't even bother pulling the key out before slipping inside. Glinda knelt next to Elphaba and reached up, brushing her fingers over her cheek, caressing a bruise that lingered there.

"Did you?" she asked softly.

It was just a whimper. One tiny, broken sound that escaped from Elphaba's throat, and then she was collapsing into Glinda's arms. Glinda muttered something, and the chains around Elphaba's wrists broke and fell to the ground. And then Glinda was holding her, stroking back her hair, brushing away her tears before they could fall.

"Elphie," she whispered, her voice thick. "I've got you. You're safe now. I've got you."

Elphaba's mind raced, but the only sound she could manage was an unintelligible mumble against Glinda's shoulder.

Glinda hushed her. "It's okay. We're going to get you out of here."

Elphaba pulled away just enough to look up at her, and Glinda gave her a weak smile. She got to her feet and turned toward the door. Elphaba's heart clenched and she couldn't quite bite back her cry, but Glinda was back in an instant, holding something out to her.

The broom.

"You…how did you…?"

Glinda shook her head, and her smile turned into something fonder, though it was still shaky. "Elphie. The only reason I took the Wizard's offer was to help you."

Elphaba stared at the broom, unable to meet Glinda's eyes. She blinked and swallowed, trying to find words. "I…I'm so sorry, Glinda."

But Glinda reached out and cupped her cheek. "I know. I am too. But it doesn't matter anymore, and even if it did, now's not the time." As if to emphasize her point, the distant chiming of bells sounded. Fear flashed through Glinda's eyes, but then it was gone, and her voice was steady as she said, "We have to leave. Can you stand?"

Elphaba nodded, but she had to rely on Glinda to even get to her feet. Every movement seemed to reveal new injuries, and Glinda fought back tears every time Elphaba gasped or winced. She took the cloak off the broom and put it on Elphaba, clasping it around her neck. When Elphaba was somewhat steady on her feet, she took the broom from Glinda, wrapping her fingers firmly around the handle. Glinda covered them briefly with her own, then moved to Elphaba's other side and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"This way," she said, leading them carefully out of the cell. Now that the alarm had been raised, they could hear voices throughout the dungeon, shouting orders to each other. Elphaba held onto the broom and leaned heavily on Glinda, who did her best to get them quickly out of the maze of jail cells. They ran into a single guard on their way out, but before Glinda could do anything, Elphaba had muttered a spell. The guard grunted and collapsed to the ground, and Elphaba slumped further against Glinda.

"Elphaba!"

"What? He saw us," Elphaba mumbled, the words slurring slightly.

"I know he saw us, but you have to let me take care of that. I can't get you out of here if you're unconscious."

"I'm fine."

" _Clearly_."

Elphaba huffed, and Glinda squeezed her hip a little before going on.

The actual jail might have been empty of guards, but the square room Glinda had come through before was not. There were more in there than before, and they were kneeling over their fellow soldiers, looking equally concerned and dangerous.

Glinda pulled them to the side and glanced at Elphaba. "If I tell you to stay here, will you actually listen?"

"What do you think?"

Glinda sighed. "That's what I thought," she said under her breath, peering out into the room. "Fine. Just…don't you dare pass out on me, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, she stepped into the room. She didn't wait to see their surprise or hear them cry out, _Your Goodness!_ She just thrust her free arm out, sending a blast of fire at the nearest cluster of soldiers.

"Still pink," Elphaba murmured, with just a bit of her usual sarcasm. Glinda smirked a little and sent the flames toward another group, blasting them back against the wall. One of the guards raised his gun, but she swung her arm around, switching to ice and freezing the weapon solid in his hands. She threw a blast of energy at him and the soldier standing near him, and they joined their unconscious comrades against the wall.

Elphaba jerked a little, and Glinda turned to see two guards almost next to them, their swords raised. Elphaba snarled and pushed away from Glinda, thrusting her arm toward the guards and sending them flying. She staggered with the spell and would have collapsed if Glinda hadn't caught her.

" _Stop that_ ," Glinda hissed, pulling her back up. Elphaba rolled her eyes and replaced her arm around Glinda's shoulders.

"I'm not unconscious, am I?"

Glinda muttered something and shifted her grip, pressing Elphaba closer to her side. "Come on," she said, leading them through the room and toward the staircase.

Climbing back up to the palace was unnerving. Footsteps and shouts echoed through the halls, and Glinda had a hard time telling what was far off and what was just around the corner. Elphaba was breathing hard against her, and she was tempted to stop and cast a few healing spells, but they didn't have time. She knew Elphaba would protest anyway.

They reached a landing between staircases and heard footsteps, much closer than before. Glinda reacted without thinking and pushed Elphaba into the corner, where the light didn't quite reach her.

" _Stay_ ," she hissed, letting go of her and straightening.

A single soldier—a pale, skinny boy who had to be younger than them—came running down the stairs. He skidded to a halt when he saw her, his eyes widening.

"Y-Your Goodness?"

Glinda resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead putting on her scared face—not that it was difficult. She was already terrified.

"With all due respect, Your Goodness, what are you thinking, coming down here? There's a resistance agent in the palace."

"I know," Glinda said. "Madame Morrible and I were attacked. I came here to find help."

"You shouldn't be here," he said firmly. "They'll be heading for the dungeons. It's too dangerous."

He stepped forward, putting himself closer to Elphaba. Glinda clasped her hands together in front of her chest and stared pleadingly up at him.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just scared, and there was no one around, and I knew there would be someone down here who could help, so I…"

He softened and touched her shoulder, and Glinda could practically feel Elphaba tensing and growling behind them. She thought fast as the guard leaned toward her.

"I understand your fear, but it was foolish to come down here. What if they had found you?"

"I-I know. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Let me take you back to your room."

"No!" Glinda nearly flinched at her mistake. The guard's eyes widened, and she quickly recovered, saying, "I-I mean, no, Madame Morrible is hurt. I came down here to find help for her. They knocked a pillar down on top of her, and we couldn't get her free. Please, she's up in the sorcery rooms, you have to help her."

"Are you sure?"

"I can make it to my chambers from here. Please, just help her." She had said it so many times, the words came easily now. The guard nodded and let her go, turning back up the stairs. Glinda let out a breath, figuring they wouldn't get that lucky again, and went back to Elphaba.

"You hit Morrible with a pillar?" Elphaba asked, leaning onto her once more. Glinda just grinned. Elphaba gave a short, somewhat weak laugh. "Since when can you move stone pillars?" she asked. "Since when can you take out an entire dungeon of guards, for that matter?"

This time Glinda's face fell. "Morrible," she said darkly. That's all there was to say. A shadow passed over Elphaba's eyes, and Glinda knew she understood.

There would come a time when they would have to talk about this. Elphaba would have to tell her all that she had seen in the Emerald City, and Glinda would have to share all the horrors that Morrible had put her through. The time would come when they would relive all of it together—not to mention everything that had happened between them—and the thought made Glinda shudder. But that time wasn't now. Right now, all they had to do was get out of the palace safely.

Which was easier said than done, since more footsteps were already thundering down the hall ahead of them. Glinda cursed, but they were directly beneath a lantern, and there was no hiding Elphaba this time. It was too late, anyway. Two guards appeared at the top of the stairs. They saw Elphaba first and raised their guns, but then their eyes caught Glinda.

Glinda pushed Elphaba behind her at the same time that Elphaba shifted her arm, moving it from across Glinda's shoulders to around her neck.

"Shoot and she dies," Elphaba called out hoarsely. The guards hesitated, lowering their guns slightly. They walked slowly toward them. Elphaba tried to step back, but she stumbled and Glinda had to reach back and wrap an arm around her to hold her up.

The guards were getting closer—close enough to shoot around Glinda and hit Elphaba, but still just a little too far to hit with a spell.

"Please," said Glinda. "Please, I'll be fine. Go get Morrible."

"Shut up," Elphaba ordered, her voice cracking as she raised it for the guards to hear. They lifted their guns again, and she shrank further behind Glinda.

"Don't," Glinda said. "Please, find Madame Morrible. Tell her the Witch has escaped."

"Your Goodness," one of them said, but he didn't continue. They both stepped closer, and Glinda saw one of them raise his gun and take aim.

She let go of Elphaba and threw her arms out, sending a wave of energy at them. They were still a little too far away, and the spell didn't hit hard enough to knock them out. Within seconds they were moving again, and this time they would be aiming for Glinda, too.

Elphaba threw her broom. It flew forward, hitting one of the soldiers in the head, then returned to her hand. Glinda ran a few steps forward and swung her arm, shoving the second soldier into the wall.

"You've gotten vicious," Elphaba said, stumbling up to her.

"He's just unconscious," Glinda murmured. "Better him than us."

Still, she shivered and glanced back at the guards before continuing up the stairs. Elphaba squeezed her shoulder weakly, reassuring her, and Glinda focused again.

The next time they heard footsteps, Glinda didn't wait for them to come into view. She summoned her energy and sent a blast of fire up the staircase. Elphaba stared at her, amazed, but she simply pulled her along faster. The walls and ground were scorched, and they passed a few unmoving guards as they went up.

Finally, _finally_ they reached the first floor of the palace. Glinda paused just before stepping out. They needed to get outside, but first…

She looked to make sure no one was around before stepping out, pulling Elphaba with her. They went a little way down the hall, turned once, then ducked into the spare room. Glinda propped Elphaba against the wall and grabbed her bag, checking it quickly before slipping it over her head. She turned back toward Elphaba, who was staring at her, one eyebrow raised.

"How long have you had this planned out?"

"This particularly?" Glinda asked. "Since yesterday. Saving you in general? Since you nearly died on the floor of our dorm room."

Elphaba pressed her lips together and looked down. "I'm sorry I doubted you," she said quietly. "I thought you had betrayed me."

"Did you, really?" Glinda stepped closer. "Or was that just easier than worrying about me?"

Their eyes met, and Elphaba reached up to touch Glinda's cheek. Glinda's eyes fluttered a little, but she took Elphaba's hand and stepped back into place beside her, holding her up again.

"Still not the time," she murmured. "We can make up when we're not still in the Wizard's palace."

She made to open the door and step back into the hallway, but Elphaba tightened her arm around her, stopping her.

"I love you," she said, somewhat urgently.

Glinda paused and looked up at her. Her hand twitched, and she gave in to the urge, reaching up and cupping the back of Elphaba's neck. She leaned up and touched her lips to Elphie's, kissing her with the lightest, briefest pressure, then met her eyes again.

"I love you," Glinda said. "That part never changed."

Elphaba closed her eyes and nodded, and then they started moving again. Glinda opened the door and they slipped through.

"Ah, Miss Glinda."

Both girls froze. The Wizard stood calmly at the end of the hall, near the entrance of the dungeons.

"I was wondering what your part was in all of this. I'll admit, I'm disappointed—this is just a bit too cliché for my tastes."

Glinda said nothing. He was alone, but she knew it wouldn't be that way for long. He was blocking their path, too, and if they turned and went the opposite direction, they would hit the main entrance hall, which was probably swarming with soldiers by now.

"Although, I suppose things will be more interesting from now on," the Wizard said. "With Miss Glinda in jail, there are so many more ways to get you to talk, Miss Elphaba. I'm sure Madame Morrible will be delighted to try."

He stared coldly at them, and Glinda was terrified. Beside her, Elphaba was trembling. They needed to get out of there, before the Gale Force showed up.

 _The Wizard has no real power_. Elphaba had said it, long ago, and since meeting him, Glinda had known she was right. He wasn't a real wizard. He ruled by reputation and controlled by fear. He wasn't even carrying a weapon. Glinda was sure he could hurt them if he wanted to, but he was relying solely on intimidation. He had never needed anything else.

Glinda steeled her nerve and raised her arm, summoning her flames. She aimed for the ground, creating a ring of fire around the Wizard. He stumbled back, startled, and Glinda poured more of her energy into the spell, letting the flames flare taller and brighter. Then she tightened her grip on Elphaba and forced herself to start down the hall.

The Wizard glared at them as they passed, but Glinda simply raised the flames even more and walked faster.

"Guards!" she heard him yell, and somehow his voice was magnified, reverberating throughout the palace. They started running as the sounds of the soldiers grew louder.

But Glinda knew the palace well enough from here, and she took them down smaller, lesser used corridors. The only people they were likely to run into here were the servants, and with all the commotion, none of them were roaming around. If they could just outrun the guards long enough to get outside…

"This way," she said, turning down a hallway. They heard footsteps behind them, but they had reached one of the little double doors that Glinda was looking for. She pushed it open, and they stumbled out into the night.

"Can you fly?" Glinda asked. Elphaba was already adjusting her grip on the broom. Glinda reached forward, covering Elphaba's fingers with her own, gripping the handle. "I'm going with you."

It was ridiculous, saying it now. If she didn't go with her, she would be killed. But she still needed to say it. And even though Elphaba didn't have to be persuaded this time, Glinda still needed to see her nod.

"Get on," Elphaba said, swinging a leg over the broom. She waited until Glinda had climbed on behind her, then added, "And hold tight."

"There they are! Shoot them!"

Elphaba pushed off from the ground as the first gunshots rang out, and then they were soaring. Glinda yelped and tightened her grip—one hand on the broom, just below Elphaba's, and the other arm wrapped tightly around Elphie's waist.

It took about two seconds for Glinda to realize she hated flying. The wind roared in her ears. The ground shrank and blurred, making her stomach twist. Every movement of the broom made Elphaba hiss and wince, and Glinda held her closer, steadying her. She hated flying, but she loved the rush that went through her as she pressed her face into Elphie's back.

Elphaba let out a laugh—that loud, wild cackle—and Glinda closed her eyes, memorizing the sound. They had done it. They were safe. They were free.

The guns continued to echo beneath them, but they were flying higher and higher, away from the soldiers, away from the city, away from everything.

* * *

A few miles out of the Emerald City, Elphaba tilted the broom down to land in a small grove of trees.

Glinda frowned as they landed. She thought of the Wizard and the Gale Force and Morrible, and she knew that their safety was only temporary. What were they going to do now? Where would they go? Glinda had no answers, no plans beyond this point, and she knew Elphie didn't, either.

Elphaba slipped off the broom and reached for her, remarkably calm compared to Glinda's raging thoughts.

"We should keep going," Glinda said, even as she let Elphaba pull her close.

"We will. But first…" Elphaba brought her hands to Glinda's face and, for the first time, allowed herself to believe this was real.

Then she kissed her.


	33. Epilogue

**A/N: Here we go, the last chapter of a series that has taken up the past 2.5 years of my life. As always, thank you so much to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, shared, talked to me on tumblr, etc. It means so much3**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Glinda sat on a fallen tree near the edge of the forest. Her skirt flowed lightly over her crossed knees, waving in the gentle breeze. Around her, the knee-high grass danced and flashed gold in the late afternoon sun. She sighed and flipped the sketchbook in her lap shut, tucking her pen inside it.

Behind her, the forest rustled. Glinda turned, lifting a leg onto the tree and resting her chin on her knee, and waited. Sure enough, just a few moments later, Elphaba came into view. She seemed to materialize out of the trees, barely making a sound. Next to her, just as silent, was a Deer.

The two were talking quietly. Elphaba made quick, small gestures with her hands, and Glinda could tell she was nervous about something, but then she caught sight of Glinda, and the worry faded from her face.

The Deer paused, hesitating where the trees were still thick. "I should be getting back," she told Elphaba. "It was nice to meet you, Fae." She looked at Glinda and nodded. "Your Goodness."

Glinda blinked, surprised, but she managed a smile before the Deer turned and bounded off, disappearing back into the forest.

Elphaba walked forward and sat on the log behind Glinda, who automatically leaned into her.

"New friend?" she asked.

"Neighbor, actually," Elphaba said. "The Gillikin forest has been a refuge for Animals ever since the Wizard's bans started taking place."

"And they know who we are?"

"Some of them." Elphaba rubbed her arm. "I wouldn't be worried. No one here is loyal to the Wizard."

Glinda hummed. "So did you find anything interesting?"

"Not personally, but I learned a lot." Elphaba nodded in the direction the Deer had left. "She has a cousin near Tenniken who likes to keep an ear out for Emerald City news."

"Anything good?"

"Define good," Elphaba said, and Glinda didn't have to turn to see the face she was making. "We've guessed most of it."

"The hunt for the Witch continues," Glinda guessed. "She and the traitorous Glinda the Good were last seen a month ago, flying away from the palace."

"Traitorous?" She could hear the smirk in Elphaba's voice. "There are some who think I brainwashed you."

Glinda giggled. "Fools. All of them."

"Anything to avoid believing you've turned against them. The entire city adored you."

"I know. Morrible hated it."

Elphaba shifted a little. She opened her mouth, then closed it again and looked away. Glinda twisted to see her better and tapped her leg.

"What is it?"

"Just a rumor," Elphaba said, a little too casually. "It's not—"

"Elphaba." Glinda grabbed her hand and met her eyes. "You don't have to protect me."

There was a long, quiet pause. Finally, Elphaba shook her head and gave a little smile. "You're right. I don't. It's just…instinct."

"I'm okay with that," Glinda said. "But no hiding things."

Elphaba nodded and pulled her close again. Glinda turned back around and settled into the embrace.

"So?" she prompted after a moment. Elphaba chuckled, but then grew serious.

"Morrible has been in the news lately, too," she said softly. "Apparently her legs are healing well, and she's returning to her work again."

"Shiz?" Glinda asked, but Elphaba shook her head.

"No. The Wizard has appointed her as head of a new task force. They'll be investigating across Oz, following the trails of any dangerous persons who have escaped the Wizard's grasp."

Glinda tensed, gripping Elphaba's arm tight. "She's coming after us."

Elphaba rested her forehead against Glinda's back and nodded. "We knew it would happen someday," she reasoned, though her voice shook a little. "That's why we came here."

Glinda nodded, numbly, and looked ahead of them at the hills that lay beyond the forest. Elphaba raised her head and shifted to follow her gaze. "Did you get any work done while I was gone?" she asked, clearly eager to change the subject. Not that Glinda minded.

They looked at the closest hill, where a hole had been dug and the beginning structures of a house were set up. The bedrock was cut and carved into most of a frame, and a few wooden beams were in place along the back and left walls. Glinda eyed it critically, then reached for her sketchbook.

"I worked a little more on the design," she said, opening to the right page and holding it up. Elphaba set her chin on Glinda's shoulder, looking between the drawing and the hill. Glinda sighed a little. "We have a long way to go."

"We've only been here three weeks."

"True." Glinda lowered the sketch to her lap and ran her fingers over the page. The first week after they escaped from the city was spent moving around, trying to find the best place to hide from the Wizard and Morrible's reach. It was stressful and tedious. Elphaba would keep going, pushing herself against Glinda's protests, until she was nearly unconscious on the broom and Glinda had to guide them down to a safe place. They would spend the next half day on the ground, Glinda tending to Elphaba, until they both got nervous and decided to fly off again.

They had eventually settled at the edge of the Great Gillikin Forest, near the hills that made up most of the Gillikin-Munchkinland border. Glinda had remembered a building she had sketched into one of her notebooks months ago—a little house set into a hill—and in between taking care of them and nursing Elphaba back to health, she had decided to give it a try. The last three weeks had passed quickly, and they lived off little more than whatever food they could gather, Glinda's magic, and each other.

It was more than enough.

"I need more materials," Glinda said, not for the first time. "There are enough fallen trees around here, but…"

"The railway isn't too far north of here," Elphaba said. "It's abandoned. We could check it out, try our luck."

"Or we could go down to Lake Chorge again."

Lake Chorge wasn't too far south. The week before they had flown down for the day to buy some desperately needed clothes. The trip made Elphaba nervous, because while she could travel with Glinda, she couldn't possibly go into town without being noticed. Glinda was nervous, too, but without all the dresses and makeup of the Emerald City, she was fairly unrecognizable. Besides, it wasn't quite summer, so the town was empty of the vacationing aristocrats who would have recognized her.

"I like the railway idea better," said Elphaba, holding her closer.

"Of course you do." There was fondness in Glinda's voice, covering up most of the exasperation. She gazed at the horizon where, across Munchkinland, the sun was setting. "It'll be dark soon. Shall we?"

Elphaba held her for a moment longer, breathing deeply, then untangled herself and stood. She held her hand out to Glinda, who took it and led the way further into the trees. There was a little abandoned house—no larger than a shack—where they were staying temporarily. It was shabby and the wood was rotting when they found it, but together they had cleaned it up and reinforced it with magic, and it was cozy enough for them.

Glinda went inside first and waved her fingers at the lantern on the wall. It flickered to life, glowing warmly in the tiny room. Elphaba walked in behind her and wandered over to the pile of blankets and pillows that served as their bed.

Glinda went to the table in the corner and touched the folded paper that lay on top. Two weeks ago, a Robin had approached Elphaba and given her a letter from Munchkinland. She and Elphaba had recognized Boq's handwriting and eagerly tore open the letter. It didn't say much—just that he had heard they escaped the palace, and he was anxious to know if they were okay. Glinda quickly wrote a response, giving it and a letter for Fiyero to the Robin, who said he was glad to deliver messages for anyone who opposed the Wizard.

"Oh." There was a rustle as Elphaba dug through her bag, then she came over, setting an envelope on the table in front of Glinda. "He found me again today."

"And you're just now telling me?" Glinda snatched the envelope and quickly opened it. It was another letter from Boq, and this time the entire page was crammed with his handwriting. Elphaba wrapped her arms around Glinda's waist and read over her shoulder.

 _Glinda,_

 _Thank Oz both of you are okay. When we heard about the uproar in the city, I didn't know what to think. You better tell Fiyero, if you haven't already. He's been worried sick._

 _It's been pretty crazy here. We're all pretty sure that once the Wizard realizes he's not going to find you easily, he'll take his anger out on Munchkinland._

"Nessa is ready for something like that," Elphaba said, tapping the page. "She's been preparing for an attack ever since our grandfather died."

Glinda read on a little further. "Whoa. Look at this."

 _There's not much we can do in terms of fighting, but things around here are changing. It took a while, but I somehow managed to convince a few of the farms to work together and combine resources. It was a last ditch effort, but with everyone sharing workers, supplies, products, etc., we were no longer in danger of losing our land. The idea caught on, and the rest of Rush Margins united with a speed and efficiency I couldn't even have dreamed of. It's worked so well, in fact, that the farms' owners are even allowing me to implement a few of the ideas I got from you._

Elphaba raised an eyebrow and looked at Glinda. She explained, distractedly, about the book of Munchkinland architecture she had bought. "But look," she said, pointing at the next paragraph.

 _Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Eminent Thropp has granted us yearly funding and is encouraging our tentative efforts to expand to the rest of_ _Wend_ _Hardings. Apparently, when she heard my name behind all of this, she became eager to hear our plans. A few folks in town have started the rumor that she has a soft spot for me._

Elphaba laughed out loud at that, but then she read on.

 _It's strange, though. When I met her, she appeared to be guilty more than anything._

"Guilty?" Elphaba asked. "Nessarose Thropp?"

"I don't know." Glinda shrugged. "But apparently she's been making all sorts of connections across Oz. Look."

She pointed a little further down the page. Elphaba scanned the lines, reading bits of it out loud. "'Lots of rumors about the Eminent these days…say she's forging an alliance with an Arjiki prince…'"

"'And at least a couple rising business connections in the Emerald City,'" Glinda finished. "Did I mention Crope and Tibbett have been planning to open a bar in the city?"

Elphaba grinned. Glinda ran her hands up and down Elphie's arms, then laced their fingers together.

"Your sister is making friends," she noted. "And they all seem to be connected by Shiz."

"That's strange. She never knew anyone at Shiz."

Glinda shrugged. "Boq did say she seemed guilty."

"Ridiculous," Elphaba scoffed, though her eyes were bright. "She's just making friends who will help her resist the Wizard."

"Maybe," said Glinda. "But maybe there's a bit of remorse there, too, hidden underneath it all. From the looks of it, you could even say she's trying to make amends."

Elphaba was quiet for a moment. She turned her face into Glinda's neck, breathing in. "Maybe Munchkinland is in good hands, after all," she murmured.

"I think so," Glinda agreed.

They were quiet for a while as they finished reading Boq's letter. Glinda tore a page from her sketchbook and started to write a response, but she only scribbled down a greeting before deciding that now wasn't the time. They ate a small dinner, then moved over to the nest of blankets and pillows.

Elphaba winced a little as she lay down, pressing a hand to her side. Glinda looked at her with concern.

"Old wounds," Elphaba said quietly, looking down and away. Glinda covered Elphaba's hand with her own.

They had summarized the events of the past year for each other. For the first time, they were able to be completely honest, yet their stories were told in quiet, broken sentences, stopping and starting, over the course of the entire month. There were a few tears, a couple of arguments, and plenty of apologies, but somehow every night ended like this: curled up in the blankets next to each other, intertwined and not willing to let go for anything.

Still, there were a few things that were left unsaid, and while Glinda felt peaceful here, she couldn't quite bring herself to be happy. Not yet. Not really. She was too afraid.

Elphaba must have sensed her thoughts, because she tucked a strand of Glinda's hair back and cupped her cheek.

"What is it?"

Glinda started to shake her head, but then she sighed and leaned into the touch, gathering her courage.

"Do you ever think about going back?" The words left her in a rush, and she ducked to hide her face against Elphaba's arm. Her voice was muffled when she added, "To the Resistance, I mean."

Elphaba rolled to her side and pulled Glinda closer. Glinda let herself be held, but she refused to look up. Elphaba took her time before answering.

"I wonder about them," she admitted softly. "I don't think I could have gone back, though. Not without Peric."

Glinda was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was small. "Do you ever miss it?" She looked up, meeting Elphaba's eyes. "I know…you made a home there, with them. Do you regret not being able to go back? Do you…do you regret…" Glinda pressed her lips together and looked down again. _Do you regret me?_

Elphaba drew her close and kissed the corner of her eyes before the tears could fall. "Glinda," she murmured. "Whatever home I made with them was nothing compared to us."

The words gave her just enough courage to look up again. Elphaba's gaze was sincere, even if it was a little sad.

"I miss Malky. I miss Peric, of course." Her breath caught, and she had to pause for a moment before continuing. "But I don't regret a single day I've spent with you."

Glinda let out a shaky laugh. "Not even the day I stole your mother's bottle?"

Elphaba grinned. "No. Not even that." Her eyes grew serious. "Are you worried I'm going to leave you?"

"Again," Glinda muttered without meaning to. She glanced up just in time to see the pain flicker across Elphaba's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"No." Elphaba's voice was soft, but firm. "No, you're right."

"I just…" Glinda felt like crying. She squirmed, but Elphaba held her tighter and she fell still, exhaling. "So much has happened," she whispered. "I don't know what I can trust."

Elphaba cupped Glinda's face, stroking her thumb over her cheekbone. "If I said you can trust me, would you believe me?"

"I've always trusted you," Glinda whispered. "But I…" She trailed off and looked down, but Elphaba tilted her face up again.

"It's okay. We'll be okay. And maybe there's nothing I can say to convince you, but…" Elphaba bit her lip, scanning Glinda's face. She leaned forward so their noses brushed against each other. Her lips hovered over Glinda's, but she glanced up again, meeting her eyes. When she saw no resistance, she closed the space between them.

She kissed Glinda lightly, barely touching, until Glinda sighed softly and parted her lips. Elphaba pulled back just far enough to look at her, taking in Glinda's fluttering lashes and flushed cheeks. She smiled and slid her fingers into Glinda's hair, tilting her head back further and kissing her again, deeper. Their tongues met, sending heat rushing through them. Elphaba moved slowly, but that didn't stop her heart from pounding. She wrapped her arm around Glinda, pressing their bodies together, wondering if there was a way to somehow drown in each other.

They were both breathless when Elphaba pulled back. She combed her fingers through Glinda's hair, waiting for her to look up again.

"I love you," Glinda whispered. She leaned forward and kissed her again, lightly. "I think…we'll be okay?"

"We will," said Elphaba. "And I love you, too."

Glinda reached for one of the blankets and pulled it over them. They both shifted, snuggling close, and when they had settled Glinda waved her fingers at the lantern on the wall, causing the light to flicker out.

It was too dark, and Glinda's eyes weren't adjusting fast enough. She screwed them shut and took a shaky breath, pressing her face into Elphaba's neck.

"Elphie," she whispered. "I'm still scared."

Because maybe they had escaped, but they were still in danger. Because maybe they were safe here, but the rest of Oz wasn't. Because the Wizard was still in control. Because their friends were scattered across the world, fighting a cause that was so much bigger than all of them. Because they had both suffered so much. Because Elphaba had been attacked, tortured, nearly killed. Because Glinda had been pushed to her breaking point over and over again, and had come out of it with a power beyond anything she had ever imagined. Because Morrible was out there, trying to hunt them down. Because even after all this time, they still couldn't escape her. Maybe they never would.

There was a soft rustle, and then Elphaba's lips brushed against her forehead. She kissed Glinda's temple. She kissed the base of her ear, then her cheek, then across the bridge of her nose to the other side. She kissed just beneath her eyes and along her jaw and at the corners of her mouth, and then she paused.

Glinda opened her eyes, expecting it to be too dark to see Elphaba. She was wrong. The stars shone through the window, bright and dazzling, casting Elphaba in soft, silvery light.

Elphaba pressed her forehead to Glinda's. "Me too," she breathed.

This time, Glinda kissed her. It was still soft, and she was still scared, but she thought that maybe, just maybe, she was happy, too.


End file.
